Mind Games
by OhTex
Summary: Amy discovers that before her, the 11th Doctor had another companion. Why did she leave? And why is the Doctor so surprised when the TARDIS trio encounter two adventurers? 11/OC
1. A Rest Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who unfortunately. Otherwise the 11th Doctor would be mine!

Full Summary: 11/OC. Before the Ponds, the Doctor had another companion. Takes place in the two years the Doctor was away in 'The Eleventh Hour'. **This is the fifth story in the series. **You don't have to read the others but I think it probably would help a great deal in getting to know my OC.

_Author's Note:_ Ooh! This is so exciting! I probably shouldn't be posting this yet as I like to write a few chapters ahead but I couldn't wait any longer! I'm currently working on the second chapter which going to be pretty long. I really hope you like this...I have so many ideas for sequels and one-shots. I know, I know...I'm getting ahead of myself. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Mind Games<strong>

Chapter One

"I wonder what's in all these rooms." Amy said, half to herself, half to her husband as they strolled down the corridors leading to the control room in the T.A.R.D.I.S.

"You've never looked?" Rory asked, surprised.

"Have you?"

"No. I just thought you would've. You're nosy."

"Oh, thanks!"

"Good morning, Ponds!" The Doctor called, beaming at his companions from his seat by the console. "Where are we off to today then? The past? Hey! You know who I've always wanted to meet? Otto von Bismarck! Or Bizzy to his friends. We could go and see him! Or we could toddle off into the future for a bit? Meet a few peeps, make a few chums that sort of thing. Or – "

"Doctor," Rory began tentatively. "We were thinking...maybe we could, sort've have a...rest day."

"A rest day?" The Doctor repeated as though it was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

"Yes. You know, just eating, sleeping and...resting."

"Oh. Well, I suppose so." He studied the monitor that hung over the console before looking at them again. "A rest day? Are you sure? It's a bit..."

"A bit what?" Amy chipped in, a little irritated by the Doctor's disbelief. It was alright for him, he didn't need as much rest as they did.

"Well, a bit boring."

"Doctor, we're tired. Can we please just have one day where we don't do anything?"

"Oh, alright. Fine. I'll just...tinker all day." He gave an exaggerated fake yawn, picked up his sonic screwdriver and descended the steps to the lower level of the T.A.R.D.I.S' console.

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><p>Oddly, when it came to actually resting, Amy found that she didn't want it. Whilst Rory enjoyed a well deserved shower and nap, she pottered around the T.A.R.D.I.S. exploring corridors and opening doors. She found that some doors insisted on being knocked before you entered even though no one was in there, while others opened before she even touched the handle and some didn't open at all, no matter how much she pushed, pulled and prodded the keypad on the wall.<p>

On her fourth corridor, all of the doors opened except one. That one door intrigued Amy more than any of the others she had encountered before. There was something different about it. It had obviously been used a fair amount, its handle was slightly faded and scratched and the keypad outside had soft buttons, like someone had often pushed them. Questions flew around in her head; who had pushed the buttons and used the handle? Whose room was this? For a moment, she wondered if it was the Doctor's room but then she saw a layer of dust on the handle. Someone had used this room a lot and stopped. Why? Amy pushed and pulled on the door to no avail. She huffed and briefly considered giving up but she knew it'd drive her crazy if she didn't get to see what was inside. As she had with all the past rooms that were locked, she jabbed at the keypad next to the door hoping that there was some sort of password that she might type in.

Nothing.

"Damn it!" There was something in there, she was sure of it. The doorway just didn't feel like the others did. When she found the other locked doors, she had just thought the Doctor had some possessions that he'd prefer his companions not rifle through. But this? This felt different. She sighed and rested her head against the door. "Oh, please! Please! C'mon...what does he call you? Old girl! C'mon, old girl, let me in!"

There was a _woosh_ and Amy nearly fell flat on her face. At her words, the door had flown open and Amy was finally in and the sight that met her was nothing like she was expecting. She thought that in here there would be something of incredible significance to the Doctor, maybe objects from his childhood, some old artefacts of his race that he had managed to find. Instead, it was a just a bedroom.

Amy glanced around just to check it was deserted before entering fully. She immediately noticed, with a slight pang of annoyance, that the room was much better than the one she and Rory currently resided in. The walls were a deep aubergine colour and instead of the dreaded bunk beds she and Rory suffered, there was a large four-poster bed in the middle of the room surrounded by sheer white drapes that had gathered a little dust. Amy smoothed one before turning her attention to the wall on the left of the bed where a large vanity table stood, covered in jewellery, money (foreign and alien), scarves, keys, make-up and...Amy reached down and from beneath a mass of tangled necklaces and earrings, pulled a small brown book. Amy turned it over and then again. There was no title on the cover, no clue as to what the book's contents were.

She walked backwards to the bed and plopped down on it, ran her fingers over the cover once more before opening it. On the first page, there was nothing but the scribbles of someone testing out whether their pen was working or not. A few blue, mostly black though, with the occasional red line here and there. Amy turned the page and saw a small paragraph of writing.

'_I suppose it might be a bit late, but I've just found this book in one of the cupboards and I thought it'd make a good diary. I asked the Doctor first of course, in case there's something written in here in invisible ink or something. He told me it might but said that I could use it anyway as whatever I have to say will be much more interesting than anything already in here. So here I am, beginning a diary about my adventures with the Doctor. I hope this will be something amazing I can look back on when I'm old and have grandkids. So, hello me! Glad we're still alive and kicking! Anyway, this is the 8__th__ month I've been travelling with the Doctor and, frankly, it's getting weirder and weirder."_

Amy grinned, overjoyed to have found something that belonged to another companion before her. She was about to turn the page when she remembered: this woman wasn't here anymore. She didn't write in the diary anymore, she didn't open that door anymore and she didn't sleep in this room anymore. Caught between scared and intrigued, Amy turned the page and read the first entry...

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><p><em>Alright, so that was a bit of a teaser chapter. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get chapter two up.<em>

_Please leave a review! I'll love you forever!_


	2. The Diary: Eight Months to Ten Months

**A/N**: I've had to split Fred's diary up into two chapters as I seem to have wittered on a bit more than I intended! I _really_ hope you enjoy these entries; there are two in this chapter and there will be three in the second part (but they're shorter). So if this goes on too long, but I wanted to give plenty of background to Fred's character and the role she played as the Doctor's companion. Anyway...onward!

A **big** thank you to MayFairy, Brownbug, DancingQueen411, Abigailmaryjanesimpson and chibiwolfgurl for their reviews! You guys are the best!

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><p><strong>The Diary: Eight Months – Ten Months<strong>

Amy turned the page and read the first entry...

_Eight months_

_I've decided that I'm going to keep note of the time in months rather than writing the date as the date varies so often._

_So, we've just returned from exploring the planet Shoctari and defending it from the threat of an alien invasion. All in a day's work. It was bloody freezing but the Doctor didn't seem all that affected, rushing about all excited, wearing no more layers than usual and prodding things with the sonic. I told him he'd catch a cold but, of course, he didn't listen. We spotted a huge silver dome half buried in the snow and I found the door to let us in which was sealed but the Doctor managed to sneak us in with the sonic._

_When we got inside, it was warm and amazing! There was so much sleek technology; sliding doors and holographic computers. But there were bodies of the Shoctari people everywhere, like something had broken in and slaughtered them all. I know it sounds wrong, but it was kind of exciting knowing that danger wasn't far away. The Doctor looked far from excited when he saw the bodies though. He just seemed angry and upset __which made him look even more attractive__._

Amy raised an eyebrow. Did this Fred and the Doctor have a...thing? She read on.

_He didn't say much as he walked around each dead Shoctarian; he just looked at each of their faces and I could see hurt in his eyes. I felt ashamed of my excitement straight away and I knew that we'd have to sort it...the Doctor wouldn't have left any survivors to fend for themselves against their enemy._

_We managed to locate a few survivors at the centre of the base, barricaded in a control room where holographic computers covered the walls and surveillance screens hung from a pillar in the centre of the room. They were all so scared and were so glad when the Doctor promised we would help them. The Shoctari are funny creatures, they're short (about my height) and are an odd yellowish colour with four arms and big dark eyes. Despite their odd looks, they're were really lovely to us and were quick to offer us the little supplies they had as a reward for our help. I assured them it wasn't necessary and the Doctor immediately started quizzing them about what happened to the base._

_They told us that they hadn't seen their attacker, but there had been an odd shimmer in the air and gun fire and their fellow Shoctarians were killed around them. They had fled to the control room to protect the base and the technology the base was working on. It turned out that locked deep beneath the base, there was some sort of beautiful ethereal creature whose power the Shoctarians had been trying to harness to return some sense of normal weather to their planet. However, the ethereal had turned rather sour after being temporarily imprisoned in the dark cell beneath the base._

"_So these attackers, they want the ethereal back?" I asked as the Doctor prodded at the computers._

_The chief Shoctarian nodded. I turned the Doctor._

"_So what do we do now? What's the POA?"_

"_POA? Oh, plan of action! Right! In the general scheme of things, we need to resolve this disagreement between the planet's people and the attackers. First, we need to find out who these attackers are."_

_The Doctor proceeded to grab my arm and announce to the room of Shoctarians: "We're popping out! Don't mind us! Just going for a little look around."_

_We exited the control room and wandered along the silver corridor. The whole base was very open plan; there were platforms and steps rather than corridors and rooms which meant there were very little places the Shoctarians could have hid when the attack had begun. We walked around for ages while the Doctor mulled over the situation out loud. Just as I was starting to get bored, the Doctor grabbed my arm and nodded toward something on the level below us._

_It was the odd shimmer in the air, the one the Shoctarians had told us about! We stayed very still and quiet as we watched it move along the lower platform._

"_What is it?" I whispered to the Doctor._

"_I don't know yet. I can't use the sonic or we'll be detected. It looks like some sort of spirit."_

_As we watched it, it realised that it wasn't exactly gliding like you would expect a spirit to. An idea struck me. I knew it'd be risky and might not even work, but it was useless just crouching down watching it. I found a piece of a dead Shoctarian's gun and threw it right at the shimmer. It hit it right in the middle and there was a flash of something dark before it returned to being nothing more than a blur. Then there was gun fire. We ran back as fast as we could to the control room._

_Once inside, the Doctor rounded on me and the Shoctarians watched, partly entertained, party alarmed._

"_What did you think you were doing? You could've been killed!"_

"_So could you!" I responded without really thinking._

"_And that makes it better?"_

"_Alright, sorry! It was a risky move but at least we now know it isn't a spirit."_

_The Doctor looked at me but said nothing for a moment. "Yes, how did you know that?"_

"_It may be a very stereotypical view of a spirit, so I apologise for any prejudice here, but I thought spirits were meant to glide. That blur was very...ploddy."_

"_Oh, yeah! He was a bit wasn't he?" The Doctor was about to turn to the Shoctarians but he grinned and said, "Ploddy. Ha!"_

"_Doctor!" Alright, so I was a little embarrassed. Ploddy isn't exactly a real word but he makes stuff up too you know!_

"_No, no, no! I like ploddy. I might use it. Anyway!" He turned to the Shoctarians. "I have good news! I think I can sort this with some good old fashion talking. All we need to do is get the ethereal to tell the attackers that there is no need to come and claim her as she is no danger here. She isn't in any danger is she?"_

"_No!" The Shoctarian chief confirmed. "None at all. We just need to extract samples from her. That way, we are hoping to create our own system and she will be free to go."_

"_Right. Excellent! One thing though," The Doctor pursed his lips. "Why did you kidnap her? Why not just – ooh, I don't know! – ask her?"_

_The Shoctarians looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders. The Doctor sighed._

"_Hmm. Maybe pleasantries are a bit old fashioned here. Right! POA!" He winked __which immediately made everything a bit more fun.__ "Fred. I need you to have a good old natter to the ethereal. We need to convince her that these lot mean her no harm and just want her help."_

"_Even though they kidnapped her and locked her in a vault?"_

"_Yes, well. I didn't say it was going to be easy. I shall be trying to get one of these blurry things to strike a conversation instead of shooting everything they see."_

_When the Doctor rushed off, I was left with the Shoctarians who opened the hatch for me to climb down and gave me all the passkeys to the several doors between to control room door and the ethereal's vault. After that, they gave me nothing more than a good luck and promptly sent me on my way. Why were we helping them again?_

_It took me ages to get to the ethereal; there were so many ladders and doors and passkeys to deal with. Once I finally got inside the vault, I saw the ethereal. She was so pale and glowing she almost looked like a beautiful ghost. The image was shattered though when she glared at me and muttered under breath. When I asked her what she said, she told me she was cursing my soul. It wasn't off to a good start. I could only hope the Doctor was having more luck. I asked several times for her name and she finally told me:_

"_Periess." She said with another glare. Who would have thought that ethereals could be so sulky?_

_I said hello and told her my name. She turned her back on me and faced the wall. My patience was already running out but I knew I had to get her in a better mood; the Doctor's life depended on it. After much coaxing, she agreed to listen to what I had to say. I told her the story of why she was captured and what the situation was amongst the Shoctarians. She softened a little. I saw that she was weakening and really piled on the gloom about all of the dead._

"_Oh, poor things!"_

"_Yes! They really are lovely!" I assured her. "They just needed your help and...well, went about it the wrong way. They meant you no harm. Now your protectors are killing them. Please will you come with me and tell them there is no need?"_

_At last she agreed and her bad temper was gone. We travelled back along the ladders and corridors I had come down in silence. Suddenly she said,_

"_Why are you here? It should not be your time."_

"_What?" I asked, hoping that this wasn't another mood coming on._

"_This is not your time, Winifred. You are not meant to be here. You time should be over. The red girl should be here. Why is she not?"_

"_I'm sorry?" I pushed the final hatch door which opened up into the control room. I ignored the Shoctarians' gasps of surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about, Periess."_

_Her eyes searched my face, as though she were reading. "Be careful, Winifred. Your desire for excitement will lead you astray. Joining one side may mean you cannot also join the other."_

_I blinked. I had no idea what her words meant but I knew they weren't just nonsense. I pushed them away, knowing that it really wasn't the time. One of the Shoctarians managed to get the Doctor up on one of the surveillance screens. He was indeed talking to the attackers who had removed their invisibility covers. They had the Doctor back against one of the platform railings._

"_Come on. We don't have much time!"_

_I led Periess to her protectors. They immediately stopped when they saw her._

"_Leave him." She said simply. "Leave this place. They need me here. Go. I am at peace here."_

_They looked at each other before grumbling, lowering their weapons and leaving. One of the soldiers approached Periess. She stroked his face and smiled. I suddenly felt like I was intruding and looked away. The Doctor did the same._

"_We will be united soon, my love." She was saying. "Go! I am needed here."_

_He obeyed and they all left._

_There was a moment of silence before the Doctor said, "Well. That's that, I suppose."_

Amy laughed. "That's _so_ him!" She muttered to herself.

_After that, we ensured that the Shoctarians and Periess were well aquatinted before bidding them farewell. As we were leaving, she called:_

"_Remember what I said, Winifred. You cannot have it all."_

_When were outside in the freezing once again, the Doctor asked me what she had said. I shrugged and said that she had let out a stream of nonsense when we were leaving the vault. I could tell he didn't believe me but he didn't push it. Instead, he looked around at all the snow._

"_Come on! Snowman!" He knelt down in the snow and began scooping it up in his bare hands. I laughed._

"_Doctor! Get up! I told you! You'll get a cold!"_

"_Nonsense! I'm a time lord, I don't get colds."_

_So that was today's events! Wow, I rambled on quite a lot didn't I? Sorry about that, future me. It's quite nice writing everything down! I don't think I'll write this much next time though. It's all a bit long winded otherwise isn't it? Oh, I have to go! The Doctor's calling for more tea. He caught a cold. Quelle surprise! I told him! It's like looking after a toddler._

Amy chuckled. She could imagine the Doctor cuddled up under a blanket, demanding that tea be brought to him. She couldn't help but let her mind linger on 'the red girl'. Was that her? What did Periess mean? She frowned and flicked to the next entry, hoping for some answers.

_Ten Months_

_I haven't been very good at keeping a diary have I? I've left out two months! Well, it's a bit hectic around here so I'll just have to write when I can. Today, the Doctor surprised me with a visit home. It was so good to see my family and friends again but it made me realise how much I love being here. I can't imagine going back to my old life again!_

_My parents insisted that the Doctor stay for tea with my older brother and his fiancée. Despite everything I've seen on my travels, my mum (in her Sunday best) sitting next to Doctor around the dining table and offering him more gravy was one of the most alarming things I've ever seen. The Doctor was in his element though, flattering my mum, talking gadgets with my dad and eating everything he could get his hands on. My Nan arrived after dinner and remembered him from the first time we met. She hugged him and he winked at her, making her blush and shriek. God, he's such a flirt._

_But of course, just because I was home, it didn't mean that the Doctor wasn't finding trouble to get us firmly stuck in. My mum casually mentioned that there had been a bit of trouble across the road. One of our neighbours had gone missing only to return three weeks later acting very oddly. The Doctor got all excited about this and announced that he was going over there take a look. Just as we were about to leave, my mum said she was coming too. The Doctor hesitated._

"_It could be dangerous, you know."_

_She dismissed his concern with a wave of her hand and bustled out the front door. We followed behind her and the Doctor said, "I see where you get your stubbornness from now."_

_Cheeky. My mum knocked on the door._

"_Hello Rachel!" She said to our neighbour. When mum first told us about Rachel's disappearance, I thought she was just exaggerating, but when Rachel answered the door, she did seem different. Her appearance as exactly the same but her eyes...there was something in her eyes that didn't look the same. "Can we come in?"_

_Rachel plastered on a smile and stepped aside to let us in. "Who is your friend, Fred? Have you got a steady boyfriend at last?" There may be something wrong with her, but she still managed to speak to me in that same patronising tone. I smiled falsely and entered her house, the Doctor behind me. "Um, excuse me!" I heard Rachel say._

_The Doctor was about an inch from her face, squinting at her face._

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Just...checking you're alright. Hello. I'm the Doctor. Nice to meet you, Rachel."_

"_Oh. Hello."_

_Ten minutes later we were all sat in the living room drinking tea. I glanced at my mum who was perched in an armchair by the window opposite Rachel. The Doctor and I sat between them on the sofa, legs pressed together and feeling well and truly awkward. Well, I was. The Doctor didn't seem bothered._

"_So. Where did you get to, Rachel?"_

"_What?"_

"_When you disappeared. Where did you go?"_

"_Doctor," my mum began cautiously._

"_Just making conversation." The Doctor said as though butter wouldn't melt. "So, what happened?"_

"_I – I don't remember." She took a sip of her tea and winced._

"_Are you sure? You were gone for three weeks weren't you? Awful long time to not remember anything."_

"_Well, I don't remember."_

"_I don't believe you." The Doctor said plainly. "In fact," he stood suddenly, put down his tea and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "I'm not convinced you are Rachel."_

"_I don't understand." Rachel stood to look at the Doctor, an odd look on her face. My mum was watching fascinated. "Who are you?" Rachel asked him._

"_You know who I am. So I suggest you tell me what you're doing here and I can get you on your way again."_

"_Oh, thank goodness! I can take this atrocious skin off at last!" She raised her hand and pressed it to her forehead and unzipped her skin. Yes, I __said/__wrote __unzipped.__ My mum screamed as Rachel's skin fell to the floor to reveal a tall green alien with huge black eyes._

"_Hello, Doctor." The alien hissed._

"_Doctor?" I asked tentatively, very aware of my mum's presence. "What is it?"_

"_She's a Slitheen. What are you doing here? What do you want?"_

"_You know what we want, Doctor. We want to expand. Raxacoricofallapatorius cannot contain our tribe. We need room. We want this planet."_

"_You can't. You know that. Billions of people inhabit this planet and you cannot wipe them out because you want more room."_

"_You are wrong, Doctor." The alien laughed. "Do you know why I chose this woman as a skin? Her home has a transmitter." The Slitheen gestured to the back garden. Outside, there was a pylon. "I have been customising it. Once I activate it, I will call the rest of my tribe and tell them that I have found a planet ready for habitation. This will be our world, Doctor."_

_The Siltheen exited the back door and made her way towards the pylon. The Doctor and I immediately started after her, the Doctor pulling out the sonic. My mum scurried after us crying:_

"_Winifred Knight! If this is one of your silly games...!"_

_I ignored her as we ran through the kitchen. I was about to follow the Doctor out of the back door but he told me to "Get some vinegar!"_

_I was about to question his logic, before realising there was no time. I raided the cupboards, letting food and cupboards pour out over the floor. I found some at the back of a deep cupboard and clutched it in my hand with a cry of triumph._

"_Oh, Winifred! Look at the mess you've made!"_

"_Mum! Really not the time!"_

_We found the Doctor in the garden, trying to reason with the Slitheen. "Please," he was saying. "I don't want to hurt you. There are plenty of planets in this universe without a population."_

"_It is this one we want Doctor. We are not fools. There must be a reason why you defend this planet so fiercely."_

"_The people!" The Doctor exclaimed, anger bubbling just below the surface. "The human race is incredible. I defend this race, these people, their ways. They're beautiful and yes – sometimes they make mistakes – but they are so pure. They have no desire to overtake the universe. They just want to get on with their lives. Leave them. They mean you no harm; so I must insist that you not harm them. Or I will have to harm you."_

_The Slitheen laughed. "That is a lovely speech, Doctor but you are not armed. Your screwdriver will not stop me."_

_The Doctor eyed his screwdriver before placing it back in his pocket. "No. I don't suppose it will. This will though."_

_I took it to mean that that was my cue to waft my vinegar. I stepped forward, not feeling particularly safe with only bottle of vinegar as defence._

"_Stop this now." The Doctor said. "Stop this now and no one gets hurt."_

"_No, Doctor. You will not hurt me. Your last regenerations did not hurt us."_

_The Doctor faltered. I knew he was torn. He wasn't naturally prone to violence._

"_Well guess what?" I said stepping close to the Slitheen. "I will hurt you. And I have no qualms about hurting you to save this planet."_

"_Friends of the Doctor do not hurt us."_

"_Yes they bloody do." I threw the vinegar at the Slitheen, hoping that was how the vinegar should be used. The Slitheen writhed and screamed before there was an explosion and I ducked just in time. There was silence as we looked at the remains of the Slitheen._

"_You killed her." The Doctor said, not meeting my eye. "You killed her."_

"_Yes, I did." I was trying to convince myself that I really had more than anything else. But I didn't feel any remorse. I knew I should but I found I didn't want to feel any._

"_Why? Why did you have to kill her? She had a life, she – "_

"_Don't you dare!" I was angry, I couldn't help it. "__You__ told me to get the vinegar! Why would you have said that if you weren't willing to kill her yourself?"_

_He didn't say anything because he knew I was right. There was a tense silence before my mum said from behind us,_

"_Is this one of those prank shows? Am I being filmed?"_

_And I couldn't help it. I laughed. The Doctor chuckled too but there was a darkness in him that I knew he couldn't cover again for a while. I linked arms with my mum and led her back through 'Rachel's' house and across the road._

"_Now, Mrs Knight." The Doctor said, his voice returning to normal. "What was it you said earlier about trifle? I do love custard."_

_We ate dessert back in my family home with the rest of our family and, naturally, it all came out. I told them the truth about my travelling: I wasn't just going across Europe with the Doctor. When I finished my dad laughed. My mum said,_

"_Shhh, Andrew! She's not lying. That Rachel was an alien. I saw her skin come off. Terribly gruesome. Now who's for more cream?"_

_I was completely baffled by her calm air. The Doctor excused himself and I watched him go back across the road and into 'Rachel's' house. I knew he was dissembling the transmitter. I took the opportunity to catch up with my family properly and I wanted just an hour where I could pretend that it was an ordinary day. Of course, I couldn't because they kept asking me questions._

_When we got back to the T.A.R.D.I.S, things were odd between us. The Doctor spoke to me fine, but there were long pauses between our conversations. Usually, the Doctor filled any silence with a stream of nattering and nonsense. Instead, he's leaving silence hanging heavy in the air and it makes me squirm._

_But I still don't regret what I did._

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><p>Amy understood the Doctor's behaviour; she knew he hated any violence, however necessary. She liked the sound of Fred's family, they sounded like the sort of people you needed to be there for you when you travelled with the Doctor. Amy suddenly felt very lucky to have Rory. He gave up his life on Earth to be with her and she was extremely grateful.<p>

She shook herself. Before she became too soppy, she turned to the next entry which was a little shorter...

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><p>Hope you enjoyed that and the diary style is alright to read.<p>

Part 2 is coming soon...I promise!

Please review! I'll give you all fish fingers and custard!


	3. The Diary: One Year to Eighteen Months

**A/N**: This is the second and final part of Fred's diary. It's shorter than the last chapter but hey ho! I've just finished writing chapter four but I'm a little unsure of whether I like it or not so it won't go up yet.

Oodles of thanks to all who reviews the last chapter: **DancingQueen411, , padmay97, chibiwolfgurl, MayFairy, Bad Dog No Biscuit, Abigailmaryjanesimpson, Brownbug** and **Tuskiko 13**! *dishes out fish fingers and custard to all*

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><p><strong>The Diary: One Year – Eighteen Months<strong>

_One Year_

_One year with the Doctor! How exciting! I can't believe it's been a year! It feels like it's been a lifetime and no time at all._

_We've just come back from Earth. Oh, that sounds odd! I mean, we've just been to Earth and are now...oh, I don't know where we are. Hang on._

_I just asked the Doctor. Apparently, we are "floating about deciding which party to join next". And, yes, that is a direct quote. He only makes sense to himself. I presume he means we're just floating around in space._

_Anyway, when I got up today, the Doctor told me he had already decided where we were going. When I asked, he said he wanted me to meet someone I reminded him of sometimes. I really hoped it wasn't some horrible red alien. He really can be so rude without even realising it. Thankfully, we landed on Earth in the year 2010. When I stepped outside, the T.A.R.D.I.S. had landed at the end of an average suburban street called 'Bannerman Road'._

"_Doctor, who are we meeting?" He didn't respond; he just smiled, took my arm and began leading me along the road._

"_Doctor!" There was a sudden cry and we both turned. A woman with brown hair just past her shoulders and a trim figure was rushing out of her drive and towards us. She stopped before us, breathless and excited. "Oh, Doctor, I knew it was you!" She and the Doctor embraced and I stood next to them, unsure of why I was there. When they parted, I had a proper look at the woman. She was older than I had previously thought, though undoubtedly looked very good for her age._

"_Fred, this is Sarah-Jane Smith. Sarah-Jane, this is Winifred Knight."_

"_Hello." Sarah-Jane said, holding out her hand. I shook it and she smiled. "Would you like to come in? Or are you on business?"_

"_Nope. Purely a social visit, I'm happy to say."_

"_How wonderful!" She led us inside her house and (naturally) we had tea._

_I listened to the Doctor and Sarah-Jane catch up. From what I could gather of their conversation, Sarah-Jane was a companion of the Doctor's in one of his previous regenerations for quite a while. I liked the way she spoke to him; she wasn't afraid to say what she thought even if she knew he wouldn't like it. After about an hour, the Doctor stood said he wanted to go and check in with Mr. Smith. Sarah-Jane told him he had been a little glitchy lately. I really had no idea what they were talking about but decided it was safer not to ask._

_I heard his footsteps on the stairs and Sarah-Jane beamed at me from across the kitchen table. I smiled back, unsure of what to say._

"_How are you finding it?" she asked._

"_Travelling with the madman upstairs?"_

_She laughed. "Yes. Exhilarating isn't it?"_

_I nodded. "Oh, yes. It's quite...exhilarating. Terrifying sometimes, but exhilarating."_

"_He wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would you, I expect."_

"_That's true. What about you?"_

"_Neither would I! No matter how scared I was, he always had a way of making me feel...alright, not safe, exactly...but hopeful; hopeful that we'd get out."_

_I nodded again. "It's true. He drives me crazy sometimes, but I know I can always count on him."_

_We sat in comfortable silence for a moment before Sarah-Jane opened her mouth, hesitated and then closed it again._

"_What?"_

"_Nothing." She shook her head and took a sip of her tea, an embarrassed smile on her face._

"_No, go on! What?"_

"_Well...did you ever..." She trailed off, glancing at the doorway and checking that the Doctor was nowhere in ear shot._

"_What?"_

"_Do you ever find the Doctor attractive?"_

_There was a pause before we both burst out laughing._

"_God, yes! I don't think you can travel with the Doctor and __not__ find him attractive at least some of the time."_

"_I agree. Wholeheartedly." We both stopped when we heard the Doctor's footsteps on the stairs again. When he entered he said,_

"_What have you lovely ladies been talking about?"_

_We looked at each other and burst out laughing again. The Doctor sat down next to me, seeming a little nervous._

"_I'll ask no more. I should have known you'd be like this together."_

_It was really wonderful to visit Sarah-Jane and she hugged us both when we left, telling the Doctor to look after me and me to look after the Doctor. Just as we were leaving, she called:_

"_I'll see you soon I hope! Good luck."_

_Inside the T.A.R.D.I.S, I asked the Doctor why we had visited her; as lovely as it had been, I was still curious._

"_Because I wanted you to see."_

"_See what, Doctor?"_

"_I wanted you to see that I will never leave you. Not really."_

Amy felt a lump in her throat as she read the last lines. Fred's relationship with the Doctor wasn't like hers, she realised. When Amy first started travelling with the Doctor, she would have jealous. Now though, she felt sad that their relationship had finished. The Doctor was her best friend and she wanted him to be happy. She pushed away her thoughts and read the penultimate entry.

Eighteen Months

_The Doctor took me into the future to meet a giant head in a glass tank. That's what he took me to see today. A giant head._

"_Don't worry. It'll be fun!" he said._

_The head was apparently the Face of Boe who was holding an audience with the chief ambassadors of the Solar System. As you do. Anyway, Boe (the Face? What's the correct abbreviation of his name?) was very happy to see the Doctor and the Doctor him. _

_The conference was pretty dull so we sat at the back and the Doctor told me that he had been with Boe when he died. From the way the Doctor was speaking about him, Boe was evidently a goodie._

_The Face of Boe came over to talk to us afterwards and the Doctor introduced us. Boe studied me and said, "Consider your dream carefully."_

_I have no idea what he talking about and said so. He gave a deep laugh and said that I would in time. Other than that, Bow was a pretty nice fellow; the conference was an attempt to restore peace amongst the planets in the Solar System after years of war and disagreements. _

"_Great isn't he?" The Doctor said when we left as he hooked his arm over my shoulders._

"_He seems swell."_

"_Swell? Swell?" He laughed. "No one says swell."_

"_I say swell."_

"_What was your dream?"_

"_Hmmm? Oh, I don't know. I don't remember. I don't think I really dreamt of anything last night."_

Amy sighed. That entry was very unhelpful. It was different to the ones before. In the previous entries, Fred had gone into so much detail but in this one there was hardly any; as though she had been distracted. Amy studied the page once more and was about to turn to the last entry when she spotted a small note at the bottom of the page.

_P.S:_

_I've just remembered my dream!_

_There was a man; a man with such a big smile...it looked like he had too many teeth. And his eyes! They were so black!_

_In the dream he was wearing a hood and he looked at me and smiled a huge, devilish smile and began to laugh. He laughed and laughed and laughed until it echoed in my head._

_Then he stopped, put his finger to his lips and went "Shhh!" and winked. And then I woke up._

_Hmmm. Silly really. I doubt it means anything._

Amy didn't know what to make of Fred's dream. It must be significant otherwise why would she have mentioned it at all? And was that dream the one the Face of Boe was referring to? Or was he referring to another dream? Maybe a life dream or an ambition? Amy shook her head and turned to the last entry, hoping that it would offer some explanation.

The last entry was only three sentences. When Amy read them, she felt her eyes prick with tears. She stared at the page for moment before desperately flicking through the rest of the book, wanting to find more. But there was no more writing. Amy snapped the book shut and stood up from Fred's bed. She hesitated for the only the slightest of moments before swiftly exiting the room, diary in hand.

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><p>The walk to the control room wasn't long and felt even shorter with all the thoughts and questions buzzing in Amy's mind. Coming down the corridor, she could hear the Doctor and Rory talking and swapping their usual banter.<p>

"Doctor?" she said, cutting across their conversation as soon as she entered the room.

"What is it, Pond? As you can see, I'm awfully busy here." He replied with his back to her as he threw a dart at the board, Rory next to him clutching his own and waiting for his turn.

"Doctor? Who's Fred?"

The Doctor froze. Amy couldn't see his face but his shoulders had gone very stiff. Rory frowned.

"Doctor? Are you alright?"

The Doctor ignored him. "How did you find out about her?" He turned to face her at last and his eyes were shining with unshed tears. "How much do you know?"

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><p>Rest assured, you WILL find out what the last entry in the diary says in the next chapter!<p>

Please review...they're my only source of sustenance!


	4. The Diary: Twenty One Months

**A/N:** Hello all! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I found it quite hard to write and for that I blame Matt Smith's wonderful acting; the way he moves from one emotion to the next very quickly and somehow makes it believable...well, that was difficult to write down. I hope I did him justice!

This is the last diary chapter and the entry is only a teeny part of it.

As always, thanks to my fabulous reviewers: **padmay97**,** Bad Dog No Biscuit**,** Abigailmaryjanesimpson**,** MayFairy**,** ObessiveBigTimeRushFan**,** chibiwolfgurl**,** DancingQueen411 **and **Brownbug**! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>The Diary: Twenty One Months<strong>

Amy stayed silent, realising that perhaps she was out of line, that it wasn't her place to ask this of him. Had something dreadful happened that he had pushed to the back of his mind? Had she gone too far?

"How much do you know?" The Doctor suddenly bellowed, making Amy and Rory jump.

"Just what she wrote in here." Amy held up the diary. The Doctor stared at it.

"Where did you find that?"

Amy said nothing; she knew he'd be angry if she told him the truth. Rory was looking at her with wide eyes, like he'd already guessed.

"Where?" The Doctor pushed again.

"In her room."

"In her room?" He repeated quietly. "In _her_ room? _Her_ room. Not yours." He charged up the steps towards her, Rory hurriedly followed, ready to cool things down if need be. The Doctor stood inches away from Amy and stared at her, silent and dangerous. Amy at last met his gaze. When she looked into his eyes, a pang of guilt shot through her so strong it hurt. She had never seen so much pain in his eyes; they were dark and shining with tears he was too angry to shed.

"Why were you in there? How did you get in there? That room is locked."

"It was the only door I couldn't open." Amy replied quietly. When the Doctor was like this, she was a little afraid of him. It didn't happen very often but when he was like this, steely and cold, she knew hot, bubbling rage was just beneath the surface. Behind the Doctor, Rory was also looking wary and confused.

"How did you open it?"

"The T.A.R.D.I.S. let me in."

"She wouldn't." He said quickly. "Don't lie to me Amy."

"I'm not! Please, it's the truth! How else could I have got in? Doctor, why is this such a big thing? Why are you so angry?"

The Doctor didn't reply. He stared at her for a long moment before turning on his heel, going back down the steps and fiddling with the console.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" Rory asked, following him back down.

"I'm taking you to a Pleasure Planet."

"Why?" The engine whirred.

"Because I don't want to see you right now. I can't look at you. Either of you. Just go."

"You're leaving us here?" Amy asked, her voice faltering.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. I wouldn't leave you." He paused as though he was regretting his own morality. "I just can't see you now. You've made me so..." He trailed off and gave a bitter laugh. "Just go. Have fun for the day and don't you dare come back here until its dark." He turned and murmured, "Don't come back until I've calmed down."

Rory and Amy hesitated, both unsure of what was the right thing to do. Was it right to leave him like this on his own? They neared the front door both confused.

"Doctor – " Amy began.

"Go!" He didn't turn around.

Rory pulled on her arm and opened the door. "Amy. Amy, I think we should go."

She nodded, took one last look at the Doctor's back and slid out of the door, closing it with a snap. She stood hand in hand with Rory, neither speaking. She was listening for the whirr of the T.A.R.D.I.S. taking off but it never came. The Doctor was true to his word: he would not leave them.

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><p>The Pleasure Planet was incredible, full of exotic alien species, foods and games but they couldn't enjoy it. Half way around the market, Rory pulled on Amy's hand.<p>

"I can't enjoy this! Not without him here making stupid comments and finding us some trouble, anyway!"

Amy gave a gentle laugh but her heart wasn't in it.

"What did you do, Amy?" There was worry in Rory's eyes. "What is this?" He pulled the diary out of her hand.

"It's the diary of the last companion the Doctor had."

"Fred? That's her name?"

"It's short for Winifred."

"Why did he get so upset? I mean, you shouldn't really have been sneaking in and out of all the rooms but he never usually minds that much about that sort of stuff. Did she write something bad about him in here?"

Amy shook her head.

"Amy, I think we should go back. I know he said not to go back until it was dark but...I don't think we should leave him alone. Not like that."

Amy agreed and they headed back, diving once again into silence, Rory's head full of questions and Amy's full of guilt. Once outside the T.A.R.D.I.S, they stopped, shared a look and creaked open the door very slowly.

"Doctor?" Rory called hesitantly to the empty room. They both entered, searching the room for any sign of him. Then suddenly, there was a crash that sounded like it wasn't far away. They raced towards it, hoping that the Doctor was alright. When they found him, Amy nearly broke down herself but, from the look of him, the Doctor needed someone to be strong for him.

He was in Fred's room, sat on the edge of her bed with his head in his hands. Everything in her room had been pulled over; all of her jewellery, books, clothes and make-up were all over the floor along with the vanity table that had stood in the corner of the room only hours ago. The room was a complete wreck, a victim of the Doctor's rage.

"I told you not come back yet." He said, his voice muffled by his hands.

"We didn't want to leave you on your own." Rory said from the doorway, surveying the mess with wide eyes.

"How nice of you."

"Doctor?" Amy knelt in front of him. "Doctor, why – "

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT!" He burst, finally looking up. His face was stained with tears, his eyes were black with anger and pain and his brow was furrowed. "You had no right coming in here!" He looked up at the ceiling. "And you had no right letting her in!"

"Doctor? I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"I'm not..." He trailed off and sniffed. "I'm not mad at you. Not really."

"Then why have you done this?" She gestured around to the chaos he'd made in the room. "Why are you so angry?"

He shook his head. Amy sighed; this wasn't going anywhere. "Doctor? What happened to Fred?"

He shook his head again. "Doctor? What happened to her?"

He said nothing. Amy tried another approach. "Whatever happened, Doctor, I'm sure she's fine with it. Do you know what she said about you? In her diary? Have you read it?"

"No. It's hers...I didn't want to..."

Amy opened the diary to last entry. Before she read it, she said, "She cared so much for you, Doctor. We all do." The Doctor tried to smile but found that he couldn't. She looked down at the last entry in the diary and read the date and the three sentences aloud:

"_Twenty One Months. _

_The Doctor told me about what he had to do to win the Time War and save us all. I can see that he's so full of self-hatred and loneliness but he's not alone because I am here. And I have never loved him more."_

A fresh tear slid down the Doctor's cheek. "Doctor? What happened to her? Where is she?"

"I'm not mad at you." He repeated. "I'm angry with myself."

"Why? Doctor, what happened? Why's this such a big deal?" Rory piped up.

The Doctor stared blankly ahead. Silence fell over the three of them until the Doctor said suddenly,

"She's dead."

Amy's eyes widened. Behind her, she could hear Rory take in a breath.

"Amy...Amy..." The Doctor clutched her like a child clutching its mother. He looked so small sat on the edge of the large bed. "I think I killed her."

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><p><em>I know, I know! Another cliffie. I'm terrible!<em>

_But fear not...I can reveal that the next chapter is called '__The Doctor's Tale__' and you'll get a lot more detail in that! Is she really dead? Was it really the Doctor's fault?_

_Please review...I'll give you all jammy dodgers!_


	5. The Doctor's Tale

**A/N**: So, I finally sat down and planned out this story properly like a good little writer and I think it's going to be sixteen chapters in total...so plenty to go yet! I hope you don't find this chapter too boring...there's an awful lot of talking but it's all for a good reason, promise!

As always, thanks to all my fabulous reviewers: **Abigailmaryjanesimpson**, **James Birdsong**, **DancingQueen411**, **padmay97**, **Mrs. 11****th**, **Brownbug**, **Bad Dog No Biscuit**, **MayFairy** and **chibiwolfgurl**.

I'd also like to thank everyone who's read this far...I've been so overwhelmed with the positive comments for this story so thank you! Your encouragement means so much and keeps me writing even when I feel too lazy! Jammy dodgers for you all...the Doctor would be so jealous!

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><p><strong>The Doctor's Tale<strong>

"Here you go." Amy handed the Doctor a cup of steaming tea; he took it but made no effort to drink it. They had taken him back to the control room and settled him down on the chair next to the console where he had sat, motionless, until Amy gave him the tea.

Amy had no idea how to deal with this. It wasn't very often that they had to come to the Doctor's rescue and when they did, it was a case of physical danger; they had never had to help him with problems like this. She frowned to herself as she studied her best friend's face, tear-stained and contorted with anguish. There had to be some sort of explanation for all this. She knew the Doctor. She _knew_ him and he would never do anything like this. She knelt down in front of him again while Rory leaned on the rail behind her, watching carefully and feeling completely confounded by the Doctor's confession.

"Doctor?" Amy began, trying to pull him out of this emotional black hole. "Doctor, tell me about her. What was she like?"

At that, the Doctor changed completely; it was an odd sight to see him beam with so many tears still on his face. "She was great; really, really fun. You two would have loved her. She was all mad hair and mad clothes. Always up for an adventure, always ready to meet someone new and get stuck in. Even if she couldn't help, she always wanted to try."

Amy's mind flicked back to Fred's first diary entry. "When did you travel with her?"

"Before you. You know those two years I was gone after Prisoner Zero and the Atraxi? That wasn't an accident. Well, it was. Sort of. She wasn't meant to stay for two years." He cast his mind back and smiled again. "I remember when I first met her. I wasn't even looking for company but then I met the girl with the boy's name! How could I resist?" He chuckled.

"Then why did she? Why did you leave me?"

"I knew you were different...your life didn't make sense, Amy; I knew you'd be a mystery I'd have to unravel. I had just seen off the Atraxi and hadn't quite got over my regeneration. I just wanted something fun for a few weeks before I came back to you and began our adventure."

"So what happened with Fred for two years?" Rory asked.

"We had fun, that's what happened. Jetting off here, there and everywhere. No problems, no mysteries, just...fun. We bickered sometimes but we could never be annoyed at each other for very long. Even the T.A.R.D.I.S. liked her. You know she let her into her systems much further than she let anyone else before...other than me of course."

"When did she..?" Rory trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"Two months before I came back for Amy." His face was immediately closed again; blank and cold as though he was afraid he would break again if he let any emotion through.

"How did it happen?"

"I told you." He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut. "I did it. It was my fault."

Amy took his hand in hers. "Doctor, I don't believe that. There must be something else. Tell us what happened from the start."

He didn't answer for a moment; he just looked from one companion to the other before slowly nodding. "We...we were dragged to this vessel; a huge transport ship with thousands of people on board. All different species living together. It was magnificent."

"You were dragged? What do you mean dragged?"

The Doctor sniffed. "The T.A.R.D.I.S...she was pulled to the ship. I still don't know how. When we got there, we were both so amazed by the ship and the people we didn't really think about it. Anyway, on board there was a dispute between some of the ship's inhabitants and the law enforcers."

"Law enforcers?"

The Doctor nodded. "The ship's captain was liberal about who she let on board but once they were inside, there were strict rules. No guns, no walking the corridors past certain times; she even banned some types of clothes despite the fact that, for some of the species, they were traditional dress. The Judoon were enforcing the laws and the inhabitants weren't happy."

"So you tried to sort things out?"

He nodded again. "It was going well. We managed to get to the Captain and talk to her. We advised her that she would lose the respect of her people if she continued with the mad laws she was enforcing. She agreed quickly and it soon became obvious that she had no real desire to keep the laws; the Judoon were taking it upon themselves to eradicate any behaviour they didn't like."

"Doctor," Amy began. "What has this got to do with Fred's...death?"

He paused for a while before continuing. "Once we'd got the Captain onside, we just to remove the Judoon from the ship. It was pretty simple really. The Judoon like to think they're needed. We made sure that the ship's inhabitants gave the Judoon no reason to stay; for a day, they all wore the same clothes, did the same things and went to bed at the same time. The Captain told the Judoon that they were no longer required and they began to leave."

"What, just like that?"

"All except the Judoon's leader who could see through our little plan. While we were making our way back to the T.A.R.D.I.S, he found us. I didn't even notice him – "

"You didn't notice him?" Amy repeated, confused. The Doctor noticed everything.

"It was odd, but the whole time I was there, I had an unsettling feeling in the back of my head."

"How do you mean?"

"Like when you know someone's watching you. I had this feeling up my spine that something was there that I hadn't seen. It distracted me from some of the things around me."

Amy glanced at Rory who had opened his mouth to ask more about this feeling but she shook her head and cut across him. "And then what?"

"Fred saw him first and I turned around to see him raising his blaster at us. She found one of the heat pipes that had burst open when we landed. It was leaking fire. The leader was hit with so much fire he was knocked backwards. I wanted to go and see him, check that was alright but she told me, she _insisted _that I didn't. She said that he deserved what he got after all the suffering he caused and that he shouldn't have our help." He looked up at Amy, anger and pain twisting his face. "You know I hate seeing them suffer. I could see her point but...we often disagreed on matters like that."

"Like when she killed the Slitheen?" Amy asked.

The Doctor looked momentarily confused before he said, "She wrote about that in her diary, I suppose?"

"So...what? You didn't like that she killed the Judoon leader and...bumped her off?"

Amy whipped around. "Rory! Don't say that!" Rory shrugged.

"No! Of course not!" The Doctor glared at Rory. "I would _never_ do that!" The both looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "As I was saying, I didn't like what she did but I did as she said and went to open the T.A.R.D.I.S. When I was unlocking the door, I could hear this...gargling behind us. The Judoon leader was still alive. Just. And then there was a shot and I turned..." Here, the Doctor almost lost it again but he took in a big breath and blinked the building tears away. "I turned and she was on the floor. The Judoon leader had died in that final effort."

Amy gasped. "Oh, Doctor! That wasn't your fault!"

Rory agreed. "Yeah, just because you didn't check on the Judoon it doesn't mean it wouldn't have happened anyway."

"No, no, no!" The Doctor almost wailed as he stood up suddenly and leaned on the railing opposite Rory, his eyes fixed on thin air. "She wasn't dead. The Judoon's blaster had been injured in the fire so the power cells had been damaged. The shot wasn't nearly as powerful as he had intended. Fred was injured, bleeding heavily but still conscious. I knew that I could get her inside the T.A.R.D.I.S. and into the Zero Room, the wound would be healed in no time and probably wouldn't even scar."

Amy and Rory stood next to each other, not knowing where this was going.

"So I told her to press the wound on her stomach hard and that I would be less than a minute unlocking the T.A.R.D.I.S and preparing the Zero Room from the console so I could carry her in and she could heal."

The Doctor stopped and looked as though he didn't want to tell them anymore.

"Doctor?" Amy prompted. His voice lowered to no more than a whisper.

"She trusted me completely. She trusted me with her life and I let her down. As soon as I was inside the T.A.R.D.I.S...the engines began and I was gone."

There was a stunned silence.

"What?" Rory burst. "You left her there alone to die?"

Amy grabbed his arm. "Shhh, Rory. That's not it is it? Doctor? That's not it is it? There was a reason wasn't there?"

There was a horrible silence that seemed to drag on and on before he nodded. "Yes. The same force that pulled us there was pushing me away." He paused and scowled darkly before spitting: "Like it had got what it wanted."

Silence fell over them again.

"Why didn't you just go straight back?" Rory asked suddenly.

"I did. She wasn't there."

Amy frowned. "What do you mean she wasn't there?"

"She wasn't there." The Doctor scowled. "I spent three days searching the ship. She wasn't there."

"So...she might not be dead?" Rory said, following Amy's trail of thought.

"Don't!" The Doctor said loudly. "She's dead. There was no way she could have left that ship. None of the emergency ships had been flown and..."

"And what? Doctor? What?"

"A pod had been released. A funeral pod." Neither Amy or Rory knew what to say. Instead, the Doctor laughed bitterly and said in a sarcastic tone: "Do you feel better now you know, Amy? Are you happier now I've told you because – goodness – I am." He wiped the tears off his face.

Amy rushed to his side, guilt overwhelming her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rake up all this. Doctor, listen to me. It was horrible but it wasn't your fault. It wasn't was it Rory?"

To both the Doctor's and Amy's surprise, Rory hesistated.

"Rory?"

"Well...I know you wouldn't abandon her intentionally Doctor but..." He glanced from Amy's frown to the Doctor's devastated expression but he still couldn't stop himself telling the truth. "I'm sorry Doctor, but you still left her alone."

"Rory!"

"Amy, I know! I know he didn't mean to but he still did!"

"Rory, I can't believe – "

"No. He's right Amy." The Doctor said quietly, sounding defeated. "He's right."

"Doctor, I don't mean to make you feel – "

But Rory was cut off by the T.A.R.D.I.S shuddering suddenly. The three of them grabbed onto the console and the Doctor stumbled over to the screen, pushing all thoughts of Fred to the back of his mind for now. The numbers on the screen were going down rapidly and so it seemed were they.

"Doctor! What's happening?" Amy called over the din of the engine as she clung onto the console.

"We're going back in time! We're – "

The T.A.R.D.I.S stopped with a bump and Rory sighed, thankful to still be stood on two feet. Once she had regained her breath, Amy said,

"Doctor, where are we?"

"Earth. Britain, England, London." He looked at the screen again. "1754."

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><p><em>So there we are...the Doctor's version of events! I hope they didn't disappoint.<em>

_Next chapter...the adventure begins!_

_Please review *makes puppy eyes*_


	6. Arriving in the Past

**A/N:** I haven't really got much to say about this chapter for once...I just hope you all think this is going somewhere exciting! Ooh, also, I'm in the process of making a Fred/Doctor wallpaper (you know, because I have no life to speak of). Feel free to PM me if you'd like one when it's done!

A big holla to all the reviewers for the last chapter: **MayFairy**, **DancingQueen411**, **padmay97**, **EleventhdocAmy**, **Abigailmaryjanesimpson**, **Brownbug**, **chibiwolfgurl**, **Mrs. 11****th**, **Kellie **(thank you so much for your kind comments! I'm glad you're enjoying my stories :D), **Shifuni** and **Bad Dog No Biscuit**! I love you lot!

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><p><strong>Arriving in the Past<strong>

"1754?" Amy repeated following the Doctor and Rory toward the T.A.R.D.I.S wardrobe. "Why has the T.A.R.D.I.S taken us to 1754?"

"I'm not sure she has." The Doctor said, deliberately not answering Amy's question. He turned to his two companions. "Right, why don't you two go in and get changed. Something Georgian. Flamboyant."

"Why do we have to change and he doesn't?" Rory grumbled as he and Amy entered the huge wardrobe.

"Because I never change!" The Doctor called over his shoulder as he strode back down the corridor. As soon as he was out of sight, his light-hearted nature left him. He really wished Amy hadn't brought her up. Fred. The girl with the boy's name. The girl he had let down in the worst way possible.

No. He shook his head as he ran down the steps and toward the console. Now wasn't the time to think of her. There were other things to do, other things to worry about right now. The T.A.R.D.I.S being out of his control was one of them. He hadn't told Amy or Rory, but the force that had brought the T.A.R.D.I.S to 1754 was frighteningly similar to the one that had pulled him and Fred to the transport ship a year and a half ago. Was it really only eighteen months ago? It seemed like so much longer. So much had changed.

He loved having Amy and Rory here; especially the two of them together. Amy had been a bit too...hands on without Rory at the beginning. In more than one sense of the word. Together, they were great; they laughed, ran and fought together. But he missed _her_. He couldn't deny it anymore. He missed seeing her come down the stairs every morning and wondering what outlandish attire she had on. He missed her relaxed nature, her love of trouble. That's why he hadn't erased her room. Normally, once a companion had gone, he reconfigured the rooms and forced himself to move on but not with hers. With Fred, he had always had the feeling that it wasn't over yet, that there was something more to come.

He snorted. Stupid really, clinging onto hope like this. A sudden shout pulled him from his melancholy thoughts.

"Doctor! What do you think?"

Amy posed with a reluctant Rory at the top of the stairs in their Georgian gear; Amy in a large corseted dress with her hair tied up and Rory in a flamboyant shirt, breeches and long white socks.

The Doctor forced a laugh, willing himself to forget about her for now and focus on keeping _these_ companions safe. "Very nice. You look...dashing, Ponds."

"Oh, this is ridiculous! I look ridiculous!" Rory gestured to his outfit. Amy laughed.

"I still think you're handsome, Mr. Pond." Amy put arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"That's enough of that!" The Doctor beckoned to them. "Come on. We have to see what brought us here."

The three of them stepped outside. They had braced themselves for the bustle of the dirty streets of Georgian London. Instead, they stepped out into a dark, dank room. Amy huffed.

"Doctor! What the hell is this?" She glared around at the room as though it had offended her. The walls, floor and ceiling were all stone and the only light in the room was one flaming torch on the left wall. There was a dark wooden door opposite them but the Doctor was far more interested with a pile of objects in the corner a few feet from the light. He squinted at the pile before rushing over to it, whipping out the sonic and scanning it.

Just as he thought, the screwdriver told him the items were from the 51st century. He picked them up and twirled them in his hands. They were mostly broken pieces of scanners, weapons and teleportation devices. He looked around the room and saw that there were six other piles like the one he was studying. He frowned. Something was very wrong here, he could feel it.

"Doctor, what are they?" Rory asked, coming up behind him.

"Things that don't belong here. They're pieces of technology from the 51st century."

"Doctor!" Amy grumbled. "I'm getting changed out of this bloody thing." She fiddled with the corset in annoyance. "If they're already things here from the future, I'm sure they can handle a pair of jeans." She opened the door into the T.A.R.D.I.S and Rory followed, grateful for the opportunity to be out of his long white socks and frilly shirt.

The Doctor was left alone in the room. He sighed and hoped that they wouldn't take long getting changed, not just because he needed to find what had brought them here, but also because he really didn't want to be alone; he didn't want to let his mind wander. He gazed around the room, desperate for something to distract him. He was about to give up when he spotted something behind the T.A.R.D.I.S, silver and sleek. He edged around the T.A.R.D.I.S and studied it. It was a control panel. He pressed one of the buttons and it whirred to life. He raised his eyebrows. The panel was fully functioning. He looked at each button and realised with a jolt that this panel could, in the right (and very intelligent) hands, be the thing that brought the T.A.R.D.I.S here.

Suddenly, there was a clatter outside the old wooden door opposite him and the Doctor whipped around, alert and ready. The door rattled, as though someone was pulling desperately on the handle on the other side. The door flew open and a figure fell inside. The Doctor raced to the person's side, too concerned and alarmed by the sudden turn of events to notice that feeling in his mind that had been painfully absent for so long. When he reached the figure – who was face down on the floor and gasping, catching their breath back – it hit him.

That tingle, the idea that he was being watched, that feeling that someone knew all of his thoughts was back and he didn't know if he should feel overjoyed or wary as he reached down and turned the figure over. They rolled onto their back and grinned at him.

"Hello, Doctor. Fancy seeing you here."

The Doctor knelt down and opened his eyes wide, trying to reassure himself that this wasn't a dream.

"...Master?"

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><p><em>Oh me, oh my...look who's finally arrived!<em>

_What do you think? Please review!_


	7. Enemies Old and New

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter as it's probably my favourite so far! As usual, a big thanks to all my reviewers from the last chapter:

**smilinsteph**, **Bad Dog No Biscuit**, **Shifuni**, **Simpa007**, **padmay97**, **Brownbug**, **DancingQueen411**, **MayFairy **and **Mrs. 11th**

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><p><strong>Enemies Old and New<strong>

The Master grinned that devilish smile and said, "I'd say that it's always a pleasure to see you but that would be a blatant lie wouldn't it?" He clambered to his feet and the Doctor watched, dumfounded and speechless. The Master still had that bright, nearly white, blonde hair and dangerous dark eyes but gone was the hoodie. Instead, he wore an old fashioned white shirt with a slight frill around the neckline and sleeves and the top laces were undone. Still kneeling on the floor, the Doctor stared at the Master's large black boots as his mind whirred.

"How...? But Rassillion..."

The Master's face darkened as he recalled his near death experience at the hands of his own people. "I escaped. I timed it right and managed to...pull myself out." He was about to continue when Amy and Rory burst out of the T.A.R.D.I.S talking loudly. They stopped abruptly and stared at the Master with caution.

"Oh, hello!" The Master grinned at them with an alarming cheeriness. "Two companions Doctor? It's been a while since you had two isn't it?"

The Doctor stood slowly. "Amy, Rory this is...the Master."

Amy eyed him."Who is he?"

"I'm an old friend."

"A very old friend."

"I'm only just older than you." The Master snapped. The Doctor noticed Amy and Rory's baffled expressions and said,

"He's a Time Lord."

"What?" Rory frowned. "I thought you said you were last one!"

The Master rolled his eyes. "Oh, he's always saying that. Loves the attention."

"I thought you were dead!"

"You should know me better than that."

Rory huffed. "Alright, girls! That's enough! What's going on?"

The Doctor took charge. "We need to find out what brought us here. Was it you?" He glared the Master who shrugged innocently.

"Nothing to do with me. Look at all this technology. It isn't mine. I'm here to clear up the little robot infestation that brewing upstairs."

Right on cue, there was an eerie ticking noise coming down the steps and into the basement where the four of them stood. The Doctor's eyes widened.

"No!" He said the Master who was grinning again. "Clockwork droids? Haven't seen them for ages!"

The Master nodded. "Seven of them so far but more to come I think. They're coming thick and fast. Bit messy, bit dangerous, lots of fun."

The Doctor saw Amy and Rory squint at the door behind him and he turned in time to see a Clockwork Robot walking towards him, its mechanics covered by Georgian attire and a white mask with black space instead of eyes. It slowly raised its left arm as it advanced. The Doctor backed off towards Amy and Rory and the three of them made their way across to the Master who was still leaning casually against the stone wall, an amused expression on his face.

"Just a little tip, Doctor. I wouldn't let them touch you. My research has shown that things don't end well for the touchee."

The Doctor scowled, not sure if he was giving him a genuine warning or just scaremongering. Realising he didn't really want to find out, he bellowed,

"My team...this way!" He ducked under the outstretched arm of the robot and made for the door. He took the steps up two at a time with Amy, Rory and – much to his dismay – the Master hot on his heels. Once at the top, the Doctor stopped abruptly, not really knowing where to go.

"This way!" The Master dashed past him and down a corridor to the right. The Doctor didn't like not being the one in the lead but he decided that now wasn't really the time to question it.

The Master led them through an extravagant sitting room, along another corridor, up two flights of stairs and along another corridor. They were just about the turn the corner when two more droids appeared in front of them. The four of them turned go back the way they had come but three more appeared trapping them as the droids' eerie _tick-tock_ came closer and closer.

"Doctor?" Amy called over her shoulder. "What do we do?"

The Doctor pulled out the sonic and aimed it at one of the robots. It managed to slow the robot's progress but not stop it. He turned to the Master. "Have you got any ideas? Come on, you're supposed to be the genius."

The Master just smiled smugly. "I'm sure everything will work out, Doctor."

The Doctor looked from the Master, to the robots which were now closing in and back again. "What do you mean? Have you got a plan?" A grin broke out over the Doctor's face. "You have, haven't you? You always have!"

The Master just continued to smile.

"Doctor!" Rory shouted desperately as one of the Clockwork robots reached out for him, merely inches away. Just when the Doctor thought it was too late, just when he thought the Master had tricked him, there was a sudden blast of steam from one end of the corridor, fogging up everyone's vision and making the air damp. Next to him, Amy floundered and fell into him, knocking them both to the ground and the sonic out of his hands. As he felt for it, nearly blind on the floor he realised he couldn't hear the ticking anymore. The moisture in the steam must have driven the robots away. Simple and effective.

"Ingenious, Master." He said as he stood, screwdriver in hand and his vision cleared a little.

"Oh, I'd love to take credit but I think that was my companion."

"Companion?" The Doctor asked, intrigued. "You never travel with anyone. You're always alone."

"I used to be. But when I came back, I thought: The Doctor always wins. Always. And he always has a pretty little companion. Perhaps that isn't just a coincidence, I thought." He shrugged casually but there was still an odd smug expression on his face which put the Doctor on edge. "So I got a companion. It's going well; I can see why you have them. Company has its perks, eh?" He winked at the Doctor, making his meaning very clear. The Doctor sniffed and looked away, uncomfortable and disapproving.

"So where is she, then? This companion?" Amy asked him as she looked up and down the corridor.

"Where are you, Wins?" The Master called while Rory mouthed _'Wins?'_ incredulously.

"Here." A voice said huskily from the end of the corridor.

The Doctor turned to see her, intrigued to meet someone the Master would consider of being a worthy companion. As the last of the steam cleared, a short, woman dressed all in black rounded the corner, holding a large sliver container the shape of a fire extinguisher. It felt like the Doctor's hearts were racing and still all at once. It couldn't be. It just..._couldn't._

"Fred." He breathed as she stopped in front of him, her face blank. She looked a little different, her hair was not longer a mass of unruly curls; instead it was poker straight and sleek. Her eyes looked a darker green than before and more...determined. She was slightly slimmer than she had been before but still not skinny.

"Hello, Doctor." She said coldly. "I knew we would probably meet again someday." She sounded like she resented that fact. She glanced at the Master, smiled at him and said, "Shall we book them in?"

"Oh, yes." The Master confirmed, his voice full of amusement. "I think they'll be staying."

Fred nodded and walked passed them, not even looking at Amy and Rory who were staring at her, speechless with shock. The Doctor glared at the Master, his eyes full of pain. It all made sense now; the Master's smug attitude and his willingness to help.

"You have wonderful taste, Doctor. Faultless." He gave him another smug grin and followed Fred out of sight.

With a jolt, the Doctor realised that, if Master thought he had found a way to antagonise him more than ever before, he was right.

This was so much more damaging than his threats, his violence, his stupid mind games. This felt like great shards of ice in his chest...and it _hurt._

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><p><em>Oh my goodness! She's back and she's not happy!<em>

_I hope you liked it...please tell me what you think in a review!_


	8. Problems and Plans

**A/N:** Hello everyone! I've struggled writing this chapter as it's a bit of a filler...there's plenty of action but not much Doctor/Fred/Master goodness and for that I apologise! I hope you still find this chapter exciting and I'll hopefully be updating soon!

Thanks to all the fabulous peeps who reviewed the last chapter: **Simpa007**, **padmay97**, **Romana-II**, **Shifuni**, **Bad Dog No Biscuit**, **DancingQueen411**, **Mrs. 11****th**, **alyssa love**, **chibiwolfgurl** and **MayFairy**.

And a special note to **Brownbug**...I hope you're feeling better soon!

So onto chapter eight; we're halfway through already!

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><p><strong>Problems and Plans<strong>

"Hello, sirs; lady. How many rooms do you require for your stay?"

The Master and Fred had led them down a flight of stairs to a grand wooden booth. Inside stood a man dressed in fine Georgian garb and, with a polite smile, he addressed the Doctor, Amy and Rory. The Doctor blinked at the question.

"What? What? What's going on? Where are we?"

"London, sir." The man behind the desk said as though the Doctor was stupid. "You're at the Clockwork Hotel, sir. How many rooms do you require?"

Amy noticed the Doctor's baffled expression and swooped in to rescue him. "Two please."

"Right you are, my lady." The man picked up a quill and asked, "What name?"

"Pond."

He wrote down the name and handed them their keys. "Rooms twenty six and twenty seven."

"Right next to us." The Master said from behind them with glee before he and Fred disappeared up the stairs and out of sight.

"What's your name?" The Doctor asked the man, ignoring the Master's comment.

"Mr. Horton, sir." He clicked his fingers. "The robots will show you to your room."

Two of the Clockwork robots appeared, dressed all in white and gold, unlike the ones they had seen before. The robots slowly led them up the stairs the Doctor hesitated before following, questions buzzing in his head. He pushed the ones about Fred away. Now wasn't the time to worry about that. What were the robots up to? Why were some friendly and some...feral? The robot in front of him stopped and pushed open a dark wooden door, revealing a luxurious room covered in deep red drapes. The other robot did the same for Amy and Rory. Then they didn't move.

"Uh...thank you." Rory said, hoping they'd leave.

They didn't. Instead, they extended their right hand and gestured inside the room.

"I think we have to go in." The Doctor realised, stepping slowly into the room and going to close the door. Amy and Rory did the same. The robots turned and disappeared. The Doctor opened the door again to go into the Pond's room to discuss their situation. Instead of a deserted corridor, there was a robot stood nearly nose to nose with him. It wasn't wearing white and the Doctor assumed that this was one of the not-so-friendly ones. He stared into the blank dark eye holes of the robot's mask. It stared back before suddenly turning and creaking off down the corridor, stopping at the next room; the Master and Fred's room. They were sharing a room. The Doctor gritted his teeth and his knuckles whitened on the door knob.

No. Not now. Now, he needed to find out what was going on here. The Doctor edged out, expecting the robot to stop him but it didn't. Instead, it remained on guard outside the Master's room. The Doctor slipped inside the Ponds room to find them both poking their heads through another door and exclaiming that it 'wasn't possible'.

"What's not possible?"

They both jumped.

"It's a bathroom. A full, working, plumbed in bathroom. In Georgian London." Rory floundered. "Doctor, what on earth is going on? What are those robot things? Who's the Master? And is Fred _the_ Fred? The dead one?"

The Doctor sighed and collapsed onto their bed. "In answer to your questions...one: I don't know but I intend to find out. Two: they are Clockwork Robots; droids from the 51st century made to blend in with the Georgian era when following orders. Three: the Master is a Time Lord, we were once friends until he took one road, I took another and, well, I ended up like this and he ended up wanting to rule the universe. Four: yes and five: yes."

Evidently, these briefs answers didn't satisfy Amy.

"Doctor, what are we doing? Why are we still even here? Didn't the Master say he was sorting this? He seems to know what's going on much better than we do. Shouldn't we just leave them to it?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Something brought us here and I need to find what is. We're involved with this now." He rubbed his face, the tumultuous events of the day catching up with him. Had it only been this morning when Amy had demanded a rest day? It already seemed like weeks ago. "Right," He shook himself. "First things first; I need to get back to the TARDIS and scan the surrounding area. We need to look for anomalies within the area."

"Surely robots in the Georgian era is a pretty good one...so is a fully functioning, modern bathroom." Rory pointed out.

"True but we really need to know _why_ they're here." He stood up so suddenly that, if he had been human, he would have had a head rush. "You two, go and speak to Mr. Horton again. Find out why he's got these robots here and where they came from. I'll go to the TARDIS and try and establish the difference between these two types of robot and see if I can trace where they came from if they've transported here."

Rory nodded and the Doctor strode toward the door, ready to put the plan into action; until Amy's voice halted him.

"What about Fred?"

"What about her?" The Doctor didn't turn around and tried to not seem bothered by her question.

"_What about her?"_ Amy repeated incredulously. "You travelled with her for nearly two years, thought she was dead and now she's back and travelling with another Time Lord! Don't you find that a bit...weird?"

The Doctor shrugged in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. "It's her choice." He said shortly and left the room before Amy could nag him further about it. He leaned on the door and sighed. If he was honest, he didn't know what to think about seeing her again. At first, he had been overjoyed to see her; shocked of course, but so happy that she was well. That she could be a part of his world again. But when she spoke to him...the Doctor sighed again. How had he been so stupid? How had he expected that she'd fall into his arms and that she'd be with him again? _Of course_ she'd be angry with him. As Rory said, whether he meant to or not, he'd still left her to die.

He stared into thin air, conflicting emotions of joy, guilt and sorrow coursing through him before he heard a familiar _tick-tock_. He glanced up and the robot that had been outside the Master and Fred's door was creaking towards him. The Doctor frowned. Odd, he could have sworn that one had been wearing white and gold. Now, it was dressed in rich reds. As it came closer, it raised its arm to grab him and the Doctor hurried away and down the stairs they had come. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the robot had stopped and was watching him go.

He wandered down another corridor, not a hundred percent sure it was the right way to the TARDIS. He stopped, frowned and made to double back but as soon as he turned, he was face to face with a robot, this one thankfully dressed in white and gold.

"Ah, yes, hello! I'd like to know where my TARDIS is." The robot did nothing, seemingly not understanding. "Where's my ship?" The robot extended an arm and the Doctor flinched until he realised it was merely gesturing down the corridor. It creaked past him, leading the way. They came to the end of the corridor, turned the corner and nearly collided with another robot, this one dressed in a deep blue. The Doctor stepped back a little, intrigued to see what happened when two of the different robots encountered each other.

The white/gold one lifted its arm and extended a knife from its sleeve and made to attack but the blue robot touched its outstretched arm. There was a loud crack as a bolt of electricity shot through the white and gold robot and its head drooped, as though it had been shut down. The Doctor was about to scan it with the sonic when its head suddenly lifted again and slowly turned to look at the Doctor. As it turned, a dot of blue appeared on its white uniform where a human heart would be. The dot spread like spilt ink, drowning out all the white and gold. The Doctor's eyes widened and he backed off. It was feral now and joined its brother in reaching for him...

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><p>"What do you mean you found it?" Amy asked with a confused frown on her face.<p>

"I mean just that, Mrs Pond." Mr. Horton said, growing wearing of his guests' questions. "I had just set up the hotel four years ago and was redecorating ready for its opening and when I went into the basement, I found one of the robots. It was very friendly and has been helping ever since."

"You found one? Then how come there are so many now?"

"I think Thomas – that's the one I found – had been making more. He likes the company." Mr. Horton smiled fondly as he polished the booth he worked behind.

"But what about the others? The ones that aren't wearing the white and gold uniform?"

"Others?" He stopped polishing and stared at them over the counter. "Mr and Mrs Pond, there are no others."

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><p><em>Bit of cliffy! I know there wasn't any Fred in this chapter but her side of things will be coming up in the next one I promise!<em>

_Please review!_


	9. A Reluctant Unification

_Author's Note:_ Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter...it's different to how I originally planned and I ended up changing it as I went along! As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter:

**Rwyf-Yn-y-Blaidd-Drwg**, **Shifuni**, **Simpa007**, **padmay97**, **alyssa love**, **MayFairy**, **Brownbug**, **chibiwolfgurl** and (hello new reviewer!) **Lady Bird**.

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><p><strong>A Reluctant Unification<strong>

The Doctor felt his back hit the wall and knew he was in trouble. As usual, he thought.

"Tell me what you're doing!" He demanded but the droids continued to advance. "Maybe not." He slid along the wall making sure he was out of their grasp. If he edged a little to the right and ducked maybe he could get out; if he wasn't touched and electrocuted that is. "Ah, well. No point in thinking of the worst. Off we go!" He squeezed his eyes shut and ducked under one of the droid's arm. He opened his eyes and saw that he had indeed managed to escape through the small gap. He admired his work with a grin. "Ha! I knew there was reason I was gangly!"

With that, he shot off down the corridor and down the stairs towards Amy and Rory who were both still with Mr. Horton. "You two!" He called to them hurriedly. "C'mon, I think we'd better get to our rooms. I just met some robots on the floor above and they were none too friendly." He ran back up the stairs and up the next flight too with Amy and Rory puffing behind him. They reached the landing where all their rooms where.

"Right," The Doctor began. "I don't think getting to the TARDIS is going to be an option right now. The Clockworks seem pretty against me going down there so what we'll have to do – "

"Why don't you come in, Doctor?" A voice called suddenly. The Master was leaning casually on the open door of his and Fred's room, that irritating smirk on his face. The Doctor scowled. The Master has managed to open the door without them hearing; probably one of his ridiculous mind games.

"Why would I want to go in there with you?" The Doctor bit back.

"Because you can't do this on your own, Doctor. This place is over-run and only we..." He gestured behind him into the room where Fred was. "...know what's going on. So if you want to get to your precious TARDIS again, you'd better come in." He backed into the room, confident that the Doctor and his companions would follow.

The Doctor grimaced. Unfortunately, the Master was right. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed the Master's help.

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><p>"So how do we do this?" The Doctor said, leaning back in his chair and giving the Master a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. They sat across from one another; only a small, round table divided them. Fred perched on the chest of drawers behind the Master, trying not to look bothered that the Doctor was in her and the Master's room. Amy and Rory stood close together and leaned against the wall behind the Doctor.<p>

"Why don't we play _Searistring_?"

The Doctor snorted, surprised at the Master's suggestion.

"_Searistring_? What's that?" Amy asked, unsure about the relationship and history between the two Time Lords.

"An old Galliferyan game we used to play when we were children; trading questions and answers of equal value." The Doctor paused and studied the Time Lord opposite. "Fine. You first...Master."

The Master bowed his head mockingly. "My question – I'll start off easy – why are you here?" After a second's pause, they both leaned across the table and joined hands as though they were about to arm wrestle. They both closed their eyes. The Master seemed to be calmer than the Doctor: his eyes were closed but he looked oddly relaxed whereas the Doctor's eyes were squeezed shut and he seemed to be pushing something out his mind. The three companions shared a bewildered and concerned look. Finally, they both opened their eyes again.

"What the hell was that?" Fred asked from behind the Master.

"That was the Doctor's answer." Noticing Fred's confused expression, the Master elaborated. "The whole point of the game is to answer the question posed by the opponent with your mind without giving any other information away. Of course, it's not quite that easy is it, Doctor? While the Doctor was answering the question, I tried to push into his mind and force him to reveal more than he wants to."

"Oh, he'll beat you at that, won't you Doctor? He's the best at mind...stuff." Amy finished lamely.

"He _is_ the best," The Master confirmed a little too kindly. The he smirked. "Until he's playing me, of course."

Amy laughed and made retort but the Doctor cut across her. "Don't, Amy."

Amy suddenly realised that the Doctor wasn't denying that the Master had a stronger mind than him and it shocked her. Nevertheless, she did as she was told and leaned against the wall again and continued to watch the odd game.

"So, something brought you here, probably that panel in the basement, eh? What an odd life you live Doctor, being dragged from place to place and breaking hearts on the way."

The Doctor glanced at Fred who avoided his gaze and shifted uncomfortably. The Master straightened up. "You're turn, Doctor. Ask away."

"_How_ are you here?"

They linked hands again and this time it was the Master's turn to squeeze his eyes shut and try to block the Doctor out. There was another tense moment before they broke the connection. They both sat back in their chairs again and the Doctor sighed as though he was disappointed.

"A vortex manipulator? How...primitive; especially for you Master."

The Master shrugged. "It's only temporary. I have plans to make something a bit more luxurious for us." The Master grinned again when he said 'us', knowing that the Doctor would feel a stab of pain at the idea of him and Fred being 'us'. "My turn again. It gets a bit harder this time."

This time, the Master didn't ask the question out loud, they just linked hands as the Master mentally asked him his question. The Doctor's eyes widened with shock before he squeezed them shut. This connection lasted longer than the others and the Doctor looked not only under pressure but very uncomfortable; his face grew more and more tense. The Master laughed, his eyes shut and his face relaxed. Suddenly, the Doctor yanked his hand out the Master's grasp and they both cried out at the abrupt break in connection. It seemed that the Master had pushed into areas of the Doctor's mind he did not want him to see. They both slumped in their chairs panting, their companions looking on, worried.

"It seems I've won this one, Doctor."

The Doctor's eyes flicked past the Master to Fred who fixed him with a steely glare. His eyes slid back at the Master. "It seems you have."

A heavy silence enveloped them all until the Master said, "Can you three go? I think the Doctor and I need a chat."

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><p>"The Doctor said you had wild hair. I'm kind of disappointed now." Amy said, sipping a glass of water and crossing her legs on the bed in her and Rory's room.<p>

Fred found herself laughing, something she didn't do very often anymore. She couldn't help quite liking Amy and Rory; after all, it wasn't _their_ fault the Doctor abandoned her. "I'm sorry my hair let your down."

"Why have you straightened it? I bet it looks amazing curly."

Fred shrugged, not really sure herself. "I don't know really. The Master prefers it like this and it goes with the kick arse look I've got going on right now. You know, dressed all in black and looking sleek."

Amy laughed too. "That's true, it does." Amy's smile faded and she couldn't stop herself asking: "How did you away? How are you still alive?"

"Amy!" Rory exclaimed from where he was perched on the windowsill.

"What? She doesn't have to answer it if she doesn't want to!"

Fred smiled but she didn't seem as relaxed as she had been. "No, it's fine. The Master found me, healed me and we started travelling together. Simple as."

"Oh. That's it?"

"That's it. No real drama I'm afraid. Well, other than the brush with death, the time and space travel and encountering aliens of course but that's everyday to us now, isn't it? It's all just part of the fun."

Amy beamed and nodded, taking another sip of her water.

"What's that?" Fred asked suddenly, pointing to Amy's jacket pocket.

Amy reached down and pulled it out before she remembered what it was. Fred blinked in surprise.

"Is that my diary?"

Amy nodded guiltily. Fred's expression was unreadable as she held her hand out for it. Amy passed it to her and Fred couldn't help but smile softly as she stroked the cover affectionately.

"It feels like a lifetime ago." She gazed at it, her eyes glazing over before she said very quietly, "A happier time."

Amy saw the pain in her eyes. "He was devastated, you know; about what happened. When I said I'd found your diary he was really upset. We've never seen him like that before."

"Was he?" Fred huffed but there was a glint of hope in her eyes.

"Yes! He misses you so much and it wasn't his fault! The TARDIS took off and he had no control over it – "

"Her." Fred cut in without thinking. Amy looked at her questioningly and she explained. "The TARDIS isn't an 'it', she's a being."

"Right. Sorry." Amy remembered that the Doctor said that Fred and the TARDIS had got on well. Amy attempted to rescue things. "The Doctor said he thought us three would get on well if we ever met."

But it was too late; Fred's barriers had come slamming down and she was cold again. "Did he? Well, the Doctor says a lot of things he doesn't mean."

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><p><em>Another chapter over! I hope you enjoyed having a bit more Fred in this one. I hope I didn't make her into too much of a bitch...I just think she'd be angry and confused.<em>

_Please review!_


	10. A Time Lord Duo

**A/N:** Hello all! I feel like I've been a bit slow with this chapter. The thought of starting it made me want to fall asleep but once I started, I realised that this chapter is pretty fun! Plenty of Master/Doctor bickering which is always good! Hope you enjoy it and big, fluffy thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter:

**Shifuni**, **padmay97**, **Simpa007**, **MayFairy**, **D0ctor**, **chibiwolfgurl**, **Lady Bird **(_and in answer to your question: I made up Searistring!_), **alyssa love** and **Brownbug**. You guys keep me going!

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><p><strong>A Time Lord Duo<strong>

"You really should learn to close your mind a bit better, Doctor. I don't think you want me to pry too far in, do you? And that dream, well...you nearly made me blush." The Master grinned and took a large bit out of the apple he had been keeping in his pocket. The Doctor glared, very uncomfortable with the subject being discussed across the table. He gritted his teeth.

"Shut. Up. That...that isn't anything to do with what's going on now. Tell me what you know about the Clockworks."

The Master blatantly ignored him and continued his teasing and poking. "It must be difficult; seeing her with me. So sorry about that, Doctor. Or am I? No, I don't suppose I am really. In fact, it's rather fun."

The Doctor bit his tongue, trying not to give the Master the satisfaction of seeing him hurt. The Master studied him.

"You know Doctor..." He paused and an incredible smirk broke out across his face, as though he was daring himself to say something. "Sometimes, she says your name; when she's asleep mostly and sometimes when we're both very much awake." There was a twinkle in his dark eyes. "I don't even think she realises she's done it. You know, perhaps she only came to me because she wanted another – "

"SHUT UP!" The Doctor stood up so suddenly the table between the clattered to the floor. With his control gone, he thought he may as well ask all the questions he had about him and Fred. "How did you find her?"

"I was on that ship, Doctor. I saw what the Judoon did...what _you_ did. Tut, tut, Doctor. Despicable. When you left, I found her and helped her heal in the room I was staying in. Then, when I left she wanted to come with me. A year later, here we are. She's mine and you're stuck being a gooseberry." He laughed.

"Why were you there in the first place? On that ship?" The Doctor demanded, sure that there was more to it than the Master was admitting.

The Master's face fell. "It took me a long time to...recover after what happened with Rassilon."

"How did you escape that? Did any of the others?"

The Master shook his head. "No. Just me."

"How?"

"I...I..." For the first time, the Master seemed uncomfortable and the Doctor momentarily glimpsed his childhood friend again. "I...don't remember much of it. All I can remember is black and it was so, _so_ deep. And we were falling endlessly, knowing there was no end." The Master's eyes glazed over as her stared into thin air. "And then fire. So much fire and it was white hot. And a voice. A deep voice that brought me back."

The Doctor was captivated and, for once, he knew that Master wasn't lying. "What did it say?"

"It told me that it was not over. It told me that I was still crucial to the Key."

The Doctor frowned. "The Key?"

The Master nodded and straightened in his chair. "But that's the past. Let's talk about now, Doctor. I think I'd better fill you in on my findings."

The Doctor also straightened in his chair.

"They're breeding, Doctor. When the robots touch anything, they're turning it into one of them. As long as it's living or as long as it has a purpose, it will turn the thing into a robot so it shares the initial robot's orders and motives."

There was a heavy silence. Eventually the Doctor said, "They could do anything. They could overrun, they could...oh, not good! Really, really not good!"

"They could take over everyone. It'll spread like disease across the galaxy; across the _universe_."

Something didn't quite make sense in the Doctor's mind; there was still a gap in the Master's explanation. "But why here? Why did they start here?"

At this, the Master took in a deep breath as though he was about to say something the Doctor didn't like. Despite this, there was still a twinkle of excitement in his eyes. "Me. They're after me."

"How do you know that...unless you've managed to hack their programming?"

The Master grinned, stood up and almost ran excitedly over to the side of the bed out of view. He bent down and picked something up which was covered in a cloth. He placed it on the table in front of the Doctor whose eyes widened.

"No!"

"Yes!" The Master pulled off the cloth to reveal a disassembled Clockwork robot.

"Look at it! It's beauty! How did you manage to get it? Oh, let me see, let me see!" He elbowed the Master out of the way, whipped out the sonic and prodding and poking wires and circuit boards.

"Get out of the way!" The Master elbowed him back. "I didn't get this out so you could use it as some sort of experiment. I want to show you something."

The Master pulled back the robot's mask and wig to reveal a glowing blue oval head. He picked at the one side and reached inside. As the Doctor watched, he suddenly felt like he was young again back on Gallifrey, playing with some new technological breakthrough with the Master in one of their rooms. Back when they were Theta and Koschei.

"Listen, Doctor. Listen to this."

The Master had extracted a small, black box from the open head of the robot. He opened the box and a hologram emerged. The Doctor started when he realised the figure was Mr. Horton.

"Your orders are to find the Time Lord. Find the one who came back. Find the Master and make him one of us. He will lead us to glory."

The hologram flickered and then disappeared.

"You see, Doctor?" The Master closed the box and stared at the Time Lord opposite him, taking in his seemingly young face. "We need to join together. We need to help each other here."

"So they're after you?"

"They think I will lead them. They think I'll help them rule the world."

The Doctor studied him, weighing up his options. It was true that he could use some help getting to the TARDIS in the basement and it seemed that helping the Master defeat the robots was the only way out of this for both of them. He sighed.

"Fine. How are you going to do this?"

"Don't worry." The Master grinned. "I've got a plan."

* * *

><p>"No way!" The three companions all exclaimed at once when they met with their respective Time Lords in the Doctor's room later than evening.<p>

"You haven't even heard it properly yet."

"I don't need to!" Amy cried. "Doctor, do you _really_ trust him enough to let him be in control of your body?"

"It would only be for a while. Just long enough for him to get down to the basement and disable the panel. That way, we think that the Clockworks' systems will be damaged and they won't be able to communicate with each other as well. If that doesn't work, the Master will at least be able to get an idea of what's going on and what their plans are."

Rory snorted and Amy shook her head. "No, Doctor! It's too dangerous!"

The Doctor huffed as though his mother had just told him he couldn't go out and play with his friends.

"How would you even do it?"

"When you travel as much as I do, you find stuff, very useful stuff." The Master piped up, reaching into his trouser pocket. "A few months ago, I found this." He pulled out a small phial. Inside, there was a pale blue liquid; just enough for two. "It's '_Founwrittism'_."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "And so we can all understand?"

"To us, it's called 'The Mind Switcher'."

Fred sighed and ran her hand over face, exhausted. "Why do you want to do this?"

"If the Doctor and I took this, our minds would be temporarily transferred to the other's body. That way, the Doctor could distract the Clockworks in my body, as it's me they're after, while I, in his body, sneak down to the basement and hopefully disable the panel."

"Ok, but why can't one of us do it?"

"This has only been tested on humans once and..." The Doctor trailed off but his meaning was perfectly clear.

"How easily can this go wrong?"

At the same time the Master said, "Not very." While the Doctor said, "Very." He glanced at the Master who glared at him. He hastily changed his previous statement. "Just joking! Not much can go wrong with this. Except that the Clockworks might not even be fooled by it and might just end up killing me in the Master's body and turning the Master - in my body - into a Clockwork."

"What if you get stuck in each other's bodies?" Fred burst. "That would be so horrible!"

"Oh, thanks!" The Time Lords said at once.

"Listen, it's obvious this isn't going to happen. Why don't we all get some rest and think about it in the morning? After all, we do all have rooms here, we may as well use them." Rory reasoned and made towards the door, Amy in tow. Fred followed and glanced back towards the two men.

"Are you coming, Master?"

The Master shrugged. "I don't need any rest. I suggest the Doctor and I brainstorm through the night and we might have a plan by morning."

Fred opened her mouth to object but then closed it again before nodding and leaving the room too. There was a moment of silence as the Time Lords watched her go. As soon as they heard Fred's door snap closed in the next room, the Master pulled out the phial and said,

"We're still going to swap, aren't we?"

The Doctor grinned. "Of course! We'll just do it while they're asleep."

* * *

><p><em>Bad Time Lords! Haha!<em>

_Will the mind swap go as planned? The next chapter will hopefully be up soon._

_Please leave a review...they're my only source of nourishment!_


	11. A Secret Swap

**A/N**: Bonjour! Now I know that a lot of you wanted (and were expecting) some Doctor/Fred/Master romance in this chapter but I hate to break it to you...there is none! BUT I will be publishing a separate one-shot as a missing scene between the end of this chapter and the beginning of the next. I hope that satisfies all you romance lovers! I'm about of third of the way through the one-shot now so it shouldn't be too long. It'll be called "Mind Swap". Anyway, thanks to all who commented on the last chapter:

**Simpa007**, **MayFairy**, **Rwyf-Yn-y-Blaidd-Drwg**, **Shifuni**, **padmay97**, **alyssa love**, **Kellie**, **D0ctor** and **Brownbug**.

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><p><strong>A Secret Swap<strong>

"Are you sure this'll work?" The Doctor asked the Master in hushed tones, conscious of the three humans asleep in the rooms close to them.

"No, but that's the fun surely?" The Master pulled the top off the phial and poured its contents into two small cups. There was barely enough in each to cover the bottom.

"So we just drink this and we'll be each other?"

The Master nodded, took a deep breath in and said, "Come on then. One, two, three..."

"Geronimo!" The Doctor stage-whispered and they both downed the contents of the cups. He winced; he could feel it sliding down his throat, ice cold before it exploded through his body. It felt like it was pulling, like it was trying to tear something out of him. He groaned and fell to his knees, through his watering eyes, he saw the Master fall too.

Then, as soon as it had begun, it stopped. The Doctor opened his eyes and stood. He didn't feel any different. Except...he was now suddenly the other side of the room and staring at the door. He turned to the Master and saw...himself. Now, that was an odd feeling.

The Master grinned and the Doctor realised that it just didn't look right on his face.

"Are we clear on the plan?" The Master said with the Doctor's voice. "You distract them long enough for me to get down there and disable whatever that panel is and we'll back here outside the rooms. Got it?"

"How long do you need?"

"Not too long...I'm a genius remember?" The Master-Doctor winked and led the way out into the dark corridor.

* * *

><p>Walking was different in the Master's body, the Doctor realised. He was quite...ploddy. He frowned. Ploddy? Where had he got that from? Suddenly, it hit him. Fred had said it once. He chuckled to himself a little sadly. He had such good memories with her.<p>

"Right." The Master-Doctor appeared next to him. "Lead them as far away from me as possible; I don't want any coming into the basement by accident."

The Doctor-Master nodded and they both set off in opposite directions. His head felt odd; heavier and more compact. And, for the time being, he was blonde of course. It had been a while since he was blonde, he realised as he strolled down the corridor, looking out for Clockworks to lead astray.

He sighed and was about to double back down the corridor when he heard a familiar _tick tock_ around the next corner. He walked a little louder, trying to lure the robot out. Sure enough, it creaked around the corner and outstretched its arm, ready make the Doctor-Master his brother.

The Doctor tried not to let too much relief show on the Master's face as he realised that the robots were indeed fooled by the mind swapping device. Instead, he set off back the way he came, leading the robot down the stairs and onto the level below where two more began following. The Doctor picked up the pace to a light jog, beginning to feel the pressure. As he ducked under the arm of another Clockwork, he noticed something small, black and flashing on the wall. He only managed to get a glimpse before he had to rush off again, seven robots now fast approaching him. Surely that was most of them? He rounded a corner and rushed along another corridor, the Clockworks creaking closer and closer.

* * *

><p>The door of the basement creaked open and the Master stumbled in, not used to the Doctor's lanky legs. He peered around the dark room, bitterly marvelling at the Doctor's good eyesight. Seeing no Clockworks in the room, he made for the sleek panel behind the TARDIS. He took in all of the buttons and levers before quickly working out how to operate it. The Clockworks had done a good job with it but it was no match for the Master's mind.<p>

Flicking two switches, jabbing two buttons and pulling a lever underneath, the panel powered down. He turned, away from it; his work done and was met by a robot. It began raising his arm but the Master said, "You do not harm me."

It hesitated, as though considering his words, before it lowered its arm and turned away from him. The Master smirked and watched it leave. The door creaked closed behind it and the Master edged forward, running the Doctor's hand along the wooden exterior of the TARDIS. He stood in it, studied it and – with a feral grin that didn't suit the Doctor's boyish face – pushed open the door.

* * *

><p>The Doctor puffed and panted; the Master's lungs weren't as strong as his and he was having difficulty. He raced up the stairs as quick as he could, taking them two at time with the Master's considerably shorter legs. They did have more power though, that he did have to admit. He glanced behind him and saw that robots made no attempt to follow him; as if they knew the game was over. He lurched onto the landing where he saw his own body stood leaning against the wall and watching the Master's body struggle for breath.<p>

"You alright there, Doctor? Hope you didn't run my body too ragged."

The Doctor wheezed, "Well...when we swap back...you...you might be feeling rather achy."

"Oh, great."

"What happens now?" The Doctor asked, hands on his knees as he bent double. "Did everything go to plan?"

"Oh yes. Easy. The panel's shut down so we'll have to see in the morning how it's affected the robots."

The Doctor stood up straight. "When will we swap back?"

"No idea. Sometime before morning I expect. In the meantime, I suggest we sleep this off. In the morning, no one will know anything about it." The Master said, using the Doctor's voice. The Doctor watched his own body wander off towards the room he'd been given. "This is your room, isn't it?"

The Doctor huffed. "I don't want you going in my room!"

The Master rolled the Doctor's eyes. "If I don't, it'll look pretty strange if we come out of each other's rooms in the morning, won't it? We'll change back soon, thankfully. Trust me; I don't want to be stuck in your gangly body for any longer than I have to. Just rest and stop whining." And with that, he entered his room and slammed the door shut, leaving the Doctor in the dark corridor.

* * *

><p><em>So it worked! But what are those things on the walls? And what was the Master up to in the TARDIS? Hmmm...<em>

_I hope that chapter didn't disappoint and please do look out for this chapter's missing scene one-shot coming up called "Mind Swap"!_

_Please review!_


	12. The Plan Unfolds

A/N: Hello all! Wow, I can't believe we're on chapter 12 already! Right, the missing scene one-shot is now up and called "Mind Swap" if any of you lovelies want to read that. I've also made three wallpapers for this story and the links are on my prfile if you want to take a look. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter:

**padmay97, Simpa007, MayFairy, , alyssa love, Shifuni, Graceful Whovian, Lady Brid, Brownbug** and **chibiwolfgurl.**

Read on!

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><p><strong>The Plan Unfolds<strong>

When Fred awoke the next morning, she was surprised to see that she was alone despite having fallen asleep next to the Master the night before. She groaned as she stood, legs aching, and hunted for her clothes on the floor before remembering she had got changed in the bathroom last night. Sure enough, she found her black playsuit and black tights draped over the side of the bath with her boots stood up neatly next to them.

She pulled them on, and tried to get a brush through her hair. She looked into the mirror above the sink and saw that her natural wayward curls had begun to rebel against the straightening regime she had been using lately. She sighed and realised that she really couldn't be bothered to straighten it again. Sod it.

Just as she left the bathroom, Amy poked her head around the door. "Oh, there you are! Come on, they've got a plan. God help us, eh?"

* * *

><p>When Amy and Fred entered the Doctor's room, the first thing they saw was three men's bums. They glanced at each other, grinning before Amy cleared her throat. The three of them stood up quickly. Through their legs, Fred couldn't quite see what they'd been bent over.<p>

"What's that?" Amy asked, arms folded. Rory stepped aside reluctantly. His wife's eyes widened.

"Is that a Clockwork robot? What the hell is it doing on the Doctor's floor?"

"It's _my_ robot." The Master butted in rather ostentatiously, eager to take credit for his work.

"Oh!" Fred relaxed slightly. "That's what that was by the side of the bed. I did wonder. Why didn't you tell me?"

The Master shrugged. "We don't need to share everything do we, Wins? Besides, I thought it'd be a nice surprise."

Fred looked suspicious for a second before reverting back to her usual self and saying, "I'd rather have shoes."

The Master chuckled and the Doctor prickled slightly at the easiness of their relationship. "Anyway!" He clapped his hands and tried to break the tension. "The plan!"

"Yeah, what's going on? And why have you got that robot?"

"From this Clockwork," The Doctor began excitedly. "We've managed to find out the robots' orders. The robots have been told to find the Master and make him one of them. They think he'll lead them to universal domination. So, when they pulled him and Fred here with the panel, they began to make more and more robots meaning there'd be more and more chances to get him."

Before he could continue, Fred made a noise like she wanted to interrupt but when they all looked at her she glanced at the Master, her eyes darkened and shook her head. "Nothing." She said rather unconvincingly. "Nothing, nothing. Go on...Doctor."

"Thank you." Their eyes met for a second before the Doctor blinked and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Umm, where was I? Oh, yes. So, all we need to do is break their communication to make them isolated machines rather than one big, ticky-tocky force. How do we do that? Well fear not, your favourite Time Lords have already accomplished that part while you were all snoozing. So, next part! If we split up, we can hunt them down and dismantle them while they're vulnerable. If we remove the part of their brain which holds their orders and put them back together, we _should_ have a few harmless droids. But the biggest issue is going to be destroying Mr. Horton."

"Mr. Horton?" Rory asked, lost. "What's wrong with him?"

"Haven't you noticed that no one else is here? No one else stays here. He doesn't go outside and he doesn't eat. He's a droid. The lead one, we think."

"Destroying him may be difficult. So, here's what the Master and I have come up with. We've made this." The Doctor held up a bundle of wires and bulb in a small plastic case.

"What the hell is that?"

The Doctor was insulted at Amy's confusion. "It's sonic screwdriver! Well, a temporary one. It's pretty useless really but that's sort of the point. It's only good for one thing: dismantling." With a flourish, he presented it to Rory who took it with much less grandeur. "It's for you two." Rory shared a dubious look with Amy. "We're going to split up into two groups. Amy and Rory you'll cover this floor and dismantle any robots you find. It shouldn't be too hard; they'll be pretty disorientated as their communication is broken."

"What will you be doing?"

"The Master, Fred and I will cover the floor below. We think they'll be more there as it's closer to the basement. Now, once we're done with our respective floors, we'll meet at the top of the stairs to the lobby where all five of us will go down and take on Mr, Horton together." The Doctor finished, slightly pink with excitement.

"Four." Fred corrected. They all looked at her again. "Sorry, but I'm not feeling that well. Do you mind if I bow out of this one? I'm sure two Time Lords can manage on. I won't be much use compared to you two anyway." She sighed, stood up, gave them all a rather sad smile and left the room. They all stared after her in surprise.

"What was that about?" Rory asked to no one in particular.

"I'll go and see." The Master stalked out after her, looking as confused as the rest of them which the Doctor found oddly refreshing.

"Doctor," Amy began. "Why are you putting us on our own? Can't you come with us and then Fred and the Master can go together? It seems more logical."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, I need to keep an eye on them, Amy. The Master seems to genuinely be helping here but...sometimes I can't tell. Sometimes I don't know if I can trust him."

* * *

><p>Fred was just about to enter her and the Master's room when a vice-like grip closed around her upper right arm.<p>

"What's going on?" The Master hissed in her ear. "What's wrong with you?"

Fred tried to look nonchalant. "Like I said, I'm not feeling too well and I don't think you need me that badly."

"No, you're not!" The Master saw through her easily. "You're fine, I know you are. And usually you're definitely up for a fight. So I ask again: what's wrong with you?"

Fred's cold, calm exterior crumbled. Her breath became ragged and tears pooled in her eyes. "It's just too hard. I can't do this, I can't...I can't be around him like this. I can't just slot into his plans and do as he wants anymore. It's too hard to see him. It's too hard to be this close to him all the time."

She reached out to the Master for comfort but he just snarled and pushed her away. "Stop being so weak. Now you're reminding me of why I don't have companions. No human will ever be as strong as me and there's nothing worse than having a clingy, weak woman around you when you're trying to win a battle. So if you're going to be weak, you're right..." He opened the door to their room and pushed her inside. "You should stay here and sob and mope and feel sorry for yourself while someone else does all the work."

And with that, he slammed the door in her face and made his way back to the others, ready to put the plan into action. But behind the safety of the wooden door, Fred's tears dried quickly.

* * *

><p>Nearly an hour later, Amy and Rory had dismantled two robots and were feeling pretty pleased with themselves.<p>

"You know, I'm not sure if I should say this because it'll probably jinx it, but this is easy." Rory said, tucking the mad-cap screwdriver in his pocket and standing over the robot with Amy. They both surveyed their handiwork until they heard the all too familiar _tick – tock_ of another robot. Amy searched for it over her husband's shoulder.

"Another one?" Rory asked without looking.

"Sort of." Amy said, her voice a little too high. "I think you definitely jinxed it."

"Why? Are there two..." Rory glanced around and trailed off. Around the corner, behind the robot they had initially heard, at least ten others were making their way towards them, arms outstretched. Amy grabbed Rory's hand and they both ran down the corridor and down the stairs, hoping to find the Doctor on the floor below.

"Doctor? DOCTOR?" Rory bellowed. "WE'VE GOT A BIT OF A SITUATION HERE!"

"Have you?" The Doctor's voice called back from around the next corner. They rounded the corner, hoping for back up or at least an escape plan. Instead, they found the Doctor alone, slumped against the wall as, in the distance at the very end of the corridor, two robots carried the Master's motionless body away.

"Yeah," The Doctor began, sounding exhausted. "Things aren't going too well here either."

* * *

><p><em>I hope that was a good cliffie. I wonder what will happen next...<em>

_Please leave a review!_


	13. A Twist In The Proceedings

**A/N:** Hello! I hope everyone's well! Well, in my head, this was a bit of a filler chapter but it's turned out quite action packed. Woo! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter:

**Brownbug, MayFairy, Simpa007, padmay97, Shifuni, alyssa love **(if you want more Fred/Doctor romance, go and read 'Mind Swap'! It's full of lovely Fred/Doctor moments!)** Jo. Brookes, chibiwolfgurl** and **Lady Brid.**

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><p><strong>A Twist in the Proceedings<strong>

"Are you alright, Doctor?" Amy asked as Rory helped the Time Lord to his feet.

"I let them take him." The Doctor said, racked with guilt. "They wanted him and I knew that. I tried...just not hard enough."

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Rory said, placing a comforting hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "I'm sure you did all you could."

"It wasn't enough." The Doctor gazed down the corridor where the Master and the robots had disappeared. "He's gone."

Amy and Rory exchanged a look. As sorry as they may feel for the Doctor, they needed to get moving; the Clockworks were surely gaining on them and it was only a matter of time until they reached them. And then there would be no one to stop the robots from overtaking the universe.

"Doctor, we have to get moving."

"Yes." He agreed distractedly. "Odd though isn't it?"

"What is?" Rory asked, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the robots weren't in sight.

"Well...all of this!" He waved a hand at the walls. "All of this nonsense here. All of this technology and history mixed together." Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. "Like something's gone out of its way to make it look like a rubbish job when actually...it's just being used as a front." His eyes widened. "Come on, Ponds! We have to get the Master back and then I think we'd better have a stern word with Mr. Horton!"

With that, they set off at a quick pace down the corridor and the last set of stairs, heading for the basement.

* * *

><p>With several jerky movements, the robots' arms lowered and the Master leapt off them and onto the cold stone of the basement. He took a look at them all, at least twenty all gathered around him in a formidable circle; the TARDIS as solid as ever behind them.<p>

And there, shining even in the dim light, was the panel. Good as new. As though the Master hadn't even touched it.

* * *

><p>"This is the corridor isn't it?" The Doctor asked his companions, looking around wildly.<p>

"To be honest, I have absolutely no idea. All these corridors look the same to me." Rory said before finding a dark oak door. "Doctor, I think this is it!"

The Doctor rushed over, Amy in tow. "Well done Roranicus! Good job! Now, there's a metal lock so I _should _be able to..." He trailed off and whipped out the sonic, pointing it at the door. The sonic whirred and the lock clunked. The Doctor grinned and twisted it. Nothing. He leaned on the door heavily. Still nothing. He pushed against it, ramming his shoulder against the old wood. "The sonic didn't work on it!" He cried, outraged.

Suddenly, with an almighty _zap_ five Clockwork robots appeared around them. The Doctor slumped against the door.

"Ah. Well that's not fair is it? You've got my mode of transportation locked up in there. Lucky you, having yours built in." The robots edged in front of the Doctor, blocking the door off. "Oh. Like that is it?"

They took a step forward, making the three friends take a step back. This happened several times before they realised that there was no use resisting: the robots were taking them somewhere.

Eventually, they reached their destination in silence, all three of them assessing the best ways to get out of their situation. The robots led them to the lobby where they watched them sit down on the seats before _zapping_ away again.

"What now?" Amy half whispered.

The Doctor didn't answer; he merely looked over at the booth in the left corner. Mr. Horton was inside, gazing at them before disappearing off to fetch something. Rory studied him.

"Doctor, he _can't_ be a robot. Look at him. He's too...human. He's too real!"

As soon as Rory had finished, Mr. Horton appeared again and for the first time, he stepped out from the booth. Amy gasped. From the hips up, Mr. Horton was a perfect replica of human man; his skin, his eyes, his hair...they all looked real. But from the hips down, he was a mass of steel and wires. He clunked over to them and bent down to look at them all in the eye.

"Watch." He said simply before standing next to the chairs where they were sat like a sort of bodyguard. Suddenly, the Doctor noticed above the booth where Mr. Horton usually resided, a flat screen had been set up. It's screen was black.

"Doctor? I don't like this. What's going on?"

A crackling noise filled the air. Static flickered on the screen and the Doctor noticed more of those small devices on the wall. They were glowing now, like they were receiving a signal. Or giving out one.

"Hello, Doctor!" A face had appeared on the screen, grinning and pleased. "So sorry about this. Didn't want to man-handle you but you didn't leave me much choice."

The Doctor closed his eyes, feeling like he was drowning in disappointment. "Master." He said finally. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, dear!" The Master made a sympathetic face. "I've disappointed you, haven't I? Oh I do apologise...oh, wait! I nearly forgot! I don't care!"

Rory snorted, angry and disbelieving.

"This was your plan all along, I take it?" The Doctor asked, too disheartened to be angry.

The Master nodded, enthused and proud. "Oh, yes. And you fell for it! You know, I thought after all I've done, you might've learnt to not trust me. You're very naive, Doctor. It's quite sweet really."

"So what do you want?" Amy demanded. "Why are we still here?"

"And where's Fred?" The Doctor cut in, anxious.

The Master huffed. "She doesn't know true power and greatness when she sees it. She's sulking in our room, grieving for her lost innocent days of travelling with our beloved Doctor. Stupid bitch."

"She knew about this?" Rory asked.

The Master snorted. "Of course not. Do you honestly think I'd risk my plans by telling a dense human?"

The Doctor bristled. "I take it you were the reason the TARDIS was brought here?"

The Master laughed. "Oh, yes! You know, I could believe you bought that that wasn't me, Doctor. You really aren't as clever as I give you credit for."

The Doctor's anger began to bubble. "And you're the reason the TARDIS took off without Fred."

He grinned. "Brilliant, eh? I'd been developing the technology since I recovered from falling into the vortex. I found a rogue Clockwork on the transport ship and began customising it. It didn't take much. And then, when I was looking for more parts, I found Mr. Horton. I re-rooted his memory and made him the figurehead for my new army. An army of robots all doing my bidding. And then, I will rule the universe. I will be the King of the Robots. Quite a good title, I think."

Next to the Doctor, Rory fidgeted a little. The Doctor realised that Rory was getting ready to escape and he tried to divert the Master's attention.

"Why did you take Fred away from me? Why did you call me here?"

"When I saw you two on that transport ship, I knew losing her would weaken you and making you weak has been a long time hobby of mine. And then, unfortunately, I realised I need some sort of device to get my robots across the universe. Stealing the TARDIS and getting all of the robots inside would take far too much effort so I thought: why not just take a piece of her?"

"No!" The Doctor growled.

"Oh yes! So, when we had swapped bodies, I spent all my time removing the TARDIS' transportation drive. Now, it's fused into this panel, my wonderful panel. All I need is for the robots to be in the room and I can send them anywhere in the universe."

"Coldly brilliant." The Doctor said through his teeth. Rory shifted again. "But I think you might face some resistance."

At once, the three of them stood and Mr. Horton immediately rounded on them.

"Go!" Rory bellowed, wielding something he had found by the side of the chair. They shot off up the stairs and along the corridor, hoping to outrun the Clockworks but no sooner had they turned the corner, they were faced with at least ten robots. They turned to double back but it was too late. Five more robots were cutting them off.

They were trapped. Amy looked around and realised something. Horrified, she cried,

"Where's Rory? Doctor, we've lost him!"

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><p><em>So the Master was a bad 'un after all! Well, we all knew he probably wasn't to be trusted.<em>

_Please leave a review!_

_The next chapter will be up __very__ soon...and YAY because it's my favourite so far! See you then!_


	14. Unexpected Aid

**A/N:** I hope updating this soon is fine for everyone...I just wanted to put it up seen as it was already written and it's my favourite so far! Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter:

**Jo. Brookes, Simpa007, padmay97, alyssa love **(thanks for reviewing 'Mind Swap' and I'm glad you liked it!)**, ****Rwyf-Yn-y-Blaidd-Drwg, Shifuni, chibiwolfgurl **and **MayFairy**.

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><p><strong>Unexpected Aid<strong>

"Doctor? Doctor! What do we do?" Amy yelled, panicking as the Clockworks closed in and the Master's laugh echoed around them.

"I...I don't know." The Doctor faltered. How could he have not seen this? Why, after all this time and all that he had done, had he still trusted the Master? Hope he supposed; hope that now the drums had gone, he had managed to regain some of his old self.

Suddenly, Rory careered around the corner, clutching the silver container Fred had used the day before. "Take this!" He pressed the button and steam burst forth, surrounding every robot in sight.

"Well done, Rory!" The Doctor called over the chaos. However, when the steam cleared, the robots were still there and still advancing.

"What the – "

The Master's laugh became louder, echoing out of the small devices on the walls. "You idiots! They are beyond that now. Do you honestly think I would try and take the universe with robots which are vulnerable to steam? You humans are even stupider than I thought. For that, you will face your deaths. I don't think I'll turn you into robots too, I wouldn't ever trust you. Death is the only way."

Rory swung for one of the robots and hit it with the steel container. The robot wobbled slightly and stopped before raising its head to stare at Rory, as though studying him, and advancing even quicker than before. Rory's back hit the wall and Amy screamed, still trapped with the Doctor.

"RORY! NO!"

Rory laughed weakly, his eyes filling up. "I think I've messed this one up, Amy."

The robot's hand was so close Rory felt it brush the hairs on his skin. Its fingers touched his cheek and Amy screamed again. Rory squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for darkness to consume him. However, all he heard was an electrical whirr. He opened his eyes cautiously and gaped at what he saw. All of the robots had slumped over and were still. Tentatively, the Doctor stepped out from the circle of robots that were surrounding him and Amy. Amy did the same and rushed over to Rory.

"Are you alright?"

Rory brushed her off, clambering to his feet. "Yeah, of course. That was all part of the plan."

"You didn't know that was going to happen, did you?"

"Nope."

Amy laughed and hugged him, relief coursing through her. The Doctor cleared his throat.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's all very lovely, glad you're fine Rory etcetera, but we have a more pressing problem. And it's Master shaped."

Bang on cue, the Master's voice crackled through the speakers again. "What have you done?" He demanded. "What have you done, Doctor? Those robots answer only to me and they cannot be defeated. I made sure of that. So what have you done?"

The Doctor just grinned. In truth, he had no idea what had happened to the robots but he knew he had to stall the Master; he needed more time to figure out how he was going to get to him.

"Whatever, you've done Doctor, you _will_ regret it. I will..." The Master trailed off and the line cut dead.

The three friends shared a look, confused. The Doctor shook himself.

"Come on! We need to find the Master. If he was in the basement, where's the logical place he would go?"

"The lobby!" Amy cried. "If he's trying to get away now all the systems are down, surely that would be the only way?"

The three of them set off at a sprint down the stairs, down the corridor and down the last set of stairs again. Sure enough, the Master stood in the lobby, pulling parts off Mr. Horton and muttering to himself. He didn't seem to have even noticed them or if he did, he wasn't concerned by their presence.

"Impossible." He muttered. "But the only explanation." Finally, he pulled one piece, studied it hard and then cursed.

Something clicked into place in the Doctor's mind. "Mr. Horton? Something was wrong with him wasn't there? He was the lead robot, set all the other's actions but something went wrong with him. So all of the others crashed."

The Master opened his mouth to respond but a whirr filled the air and Mr. Horton began moving again. He glared at the Master and began pulling the bits of his hands and putting himself together again. He moved so quickly, he was done in a matter of seconds and the Master could do nothing about it.

"Impossible." He muttered again. "Impossible to do without me."

"Ahhh, nothing's impossible, not really." The Doctor said, jauntily without knowing what the Master was talking about.

The Master glared at the Doctor. "You have no idea..." But again he trailed off and focussed on something past the Doctor at the top of the stairs.

The three friends turned to see what the Master was looking at. At the top of the stairs stood Fred; her expression unreadable. "You know, you should never forget the woman; especially the one scorned."

She slowly began descending the stairs, her eyes never leaving the Master's.

"What have you done?" The Master asked her levelly, when she had finally reached the bottom of the stairs and passed the Doctor.

"Well, that's quite a funny story." She grinned, and the Doctor suddenly realised that she really had spent way too much time with the Master to be able to smirk like that. "You see, I knew you were up to something. I knew you were doing something that you weren't telling me about."

"How?" The Master bit back.

"Because I know you. I know how your mind works. And I knew you would never know it was me who stopped you because you've always, _always_ over looked me; you always thought I was just some weak human girl clinging onto you. That used to bother me but it doesn't now, not now that it's come in handy anyway. As soon as I knew you were up to something, finding out what was actually rather easy. You should cover your tracks better."

He glared and she grinned again.

"I knew it was something to do with the robots – that much was obvious – and that panel in the basement looked far too complex for the robots to have built so I knew then that you had had a hand in it. So, how did I work out the rest? Easy: you're always whinging on about owning the universe, being the commander of it all. So, when I saw that the Clockworks could turn living beings into robots it became pretty clear that you were using them and modifying them to create more and more until they over run this planet and then the next and the next until...you would rule them all. After all, you built them so they would obey you, wouldn't they?"

"They _do_ obey me."

"They did." She corrected. "They did until five minutes ago when activated the chip I put in Mr. Horton. Let me explain. When I found out you were working on something without telling me, I knew that you would probably jet off without me and leave me alone again. So I decided to take out a little _insurance_ in the form of the robots. While you were busy antagonising the Doctor yesterday, I managed to shut down Mr. Horton and put a chip in him. Once activated, the chip would respond to its owner and its owner only."

She moved so close to the Master, he could feel her breath on his face and said so quietly only he could hear. "You see, if you hadn't been so secretive...who knows? I might have even helped you." She stepped back again and said loudly, "So! If you want to leave here alive..." There was several loud _zaps_ and at least twenty Clockworks appeared alongside her, arms raised and ready to attack. "...You'd better start running."

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><p><em>I hope you liked that! Only two more chapters to go!<em>

_I'm also thinking about making a fanmix for this story; I'd have a song for every chapter. I just wondered if anyone would be interested it that...?_

_Anyway, please review!_


	15. The Beginning Of The Game

**A/N**: We're nearly done! This is the penultimate chapter! It's sad and exciting to be nearly finished. I hope you like this chapter; the adventure gets tied up in this one but there are hints of more yet to come...but that's another story! Thanks, as always, to all who reviewed the last chapter:

**Rwyf-Yn-y-Blaidd-Drwg, Simpa007, alyssa love, Mrs. 11****th****, chibiwolfgurl, MayFairy, Jo. Brookes, Lady Brid, Shifuni **and **padmay97.**

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><p><strong>The Beginning of the Game<strong>

The Master's eyes darted from Fred to the Doctor and then to the robots, his mind whirring, trying to sort out a plan. Suddenly, his hand dived into his pocket and pulled out a small, black gun. He wielded it; his eyes dark and dangerous. Then he fired four shots. They all ducked as three Clockworks fell, sparking and clattering. The last shot hit the electrics box behind the counter and the room was plunged into darkness.

The Doctor groped in the dark and found a slim, human-feeling arm. It pulled away from him but replaced the contact by placing a hand in his. He smiled, enjoying the feeling of having Fred close again. How could he have doubted that she'd see through the Master? A light suddenly flickered on to reveal Amy holding a small torch; the Master was nowhere in sight. Amy looked at the Doctor and raised an eyebrow, amused.

"Is there something you two want to tell me?"

The Doctor grinned and squeezed Fred's hand. He turned to look at her only to be met by an alarmed Rory instead. He dropped his hand quickly and the both men puffed out their chests and scratched their heads, trying to seem manly again. Amy just laughed and said,

"C'mon, we'd better go after her." She gestured to the stairs behind them where Fred's feet were just running out of sight.

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><p>She could hear him, she was sure of it. She could hear his ragged breath in front of her. She stopped running so she could listen properly. He wasn't that far in front of her; she squinted and could see his blonde hair rounding the corner a few metres ahead.<p>

She started running again; she needed to catch up with him.

They needed to talk.

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><p>The Master took the stairs two at a time, acutely aware of that she was following him. He needed to get back to their room, get the vortex manipulator and the hell out of here. As he turned the door handle to his room, he couldn't help but smile wryly. Winifred may have turned all of his best-laid plans to dust but – as odd as it may sound – he had more respect for her now than he had before. Before, he had thought she was just clinging onto him; hoping that he was a replacement Doctor. But now he could see her for who she was and he liked her more for it. Of course, he'd still have to kill her...but not today. One day soon and he would enjoy the chase until he did.<p>

Today, he had to just get away with his life.

"Run I said and run you did." Her voice said from the doorway behind him as he rummaged through his things desperately for his vortex manipulator.

"Well, believe it or not, I sometimes do as I'm told."

She snorted. "I very much doubt that."

He strapped the vortex manipulator to his wrist, his eyes never leaving hers. His fingers hovered over the buttons. "You're not going to try and stop me?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't want to kill you and I'm not even sure I could kill a Time Lord; seems a bit complicated and a bit of a waste of talent if you ask me. Besides, you saved my life so it seems only fair that I let you have yours. Just this once."

It was his turn to snort. "You think you can win again? You were lucky this time; you had the element of surprise. Could you do it again though? I doubt it."

"Win?"

"Yes: win. Could you win another round of this little game? It'll be pretty dangerous, you know. You'd better be ready the next time we meet."

She raised an eyebrow. "And if I don't want to play?"

"Then I'll kill you." He flashed her a self-assured grin. "Well, I'm going to kill you anyway but if you don't play I'll just do it straight away. Much less fun for the both of us."

She said nothing. He scowled, longing for her to say that she'd play this game with him; that she'd play for her life every time they met. He didn't want this sparring to end, it had been so long since he'd had something like this. His heart was pounding, excited by the danger and the risk.

"You know it was me, don't you?" He began to provoke. "It was me who made the TARDIS take off and leave you all alone to die on that transport ship. And then, when you came around and I was looking after you, I told you that he hadn't come back for you." She glared at him, her muscles tense. This was definitely a sore spot. Evidently, anything to do with the Doctor was a bit of a sensitive area for her. "He did come back for you. I saw him. He looked for you for days but I hid you." He laughed, knowing she was on the brink of cracking. "I think he missed you. Ah well, he's moved on now, hasn't he? Damage done."

Suddenly, the Master's left cheek was stinging.

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><p>"I bet they're in their room!" The Doctor exclaimed, sprinting up the stairs and along the corridor, coming to a halt outside their door, waiting for Amy and Rory to catch up before flinging the door wide open.<p>

They were just in time to see Fred slap the Master hard across the face. The Master laughed, though he didn't sound nearly as gleeful as he had been. Fred leaned in close to him and the three friends could only just hear what she said.

"I've won this one. Let's see what happens the next time."

The Master's dark eyes glittered before he tapped the buttons on the vortex manipulator. There was a _crack _and he was gone.

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><p><em>So the Master escaped with his life! And, no, Fred's isn't evil...just g<em>_un happy! Haha!_

_I hope you enjoyed that...one more chapter to go!_

_Also, for all those lovely people asking, __**I **__**do**__** have a sequel planned **__(if I'm honest, I have several planned) but I'll tell you more about those at the end of the last chapter._

_Please leave a review...I love them!_


	16. An Invitation

**A/N:** Oh my goodness, this is it! The last chapter is here *cries*. I hope this is a satisfactory end! Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter:

**Simpa007, Shifuni, Jo. Brookes, alyssa love, Mrs. 11****th****, MayFairy** and **Brownbug **(I hope you're feeling better, chum!)**.**

**I'd also like to thank **_**everyone**_** who's checked out, read or reviewed this story. I've been overwhelmed by the response for this story!**

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><p><strong>An Invitation<strong>

"I can't believe she just let him go." Rory said quietly to Amy as they cleaned up the robot parts in the second floor corridor.

"I know but there's something between them we obviously don't know about." Amy picked a steel leg off the floor and put in the box the Doctor had given her, suddenly realising how surreal this situation was.

"What do you think she'll do now?"

"Go back to Earth, I suppose. She hasn't got much else to do, has she?"

"Shhhhh! She's coming!" Rory hissed as Fred turned the corner and strode down the corridor towards them. She smiled awkwardly when she reached them.

"Hello Amy, Rory. Where's the Doctor?" She asked, seemingly a bit embarrassed.

"He's down in the basement." Amy responded, not sure whether she should like Fred or not. "He's dismantling the panel and putting the transport drive thingy back in the TARDIS."

Fred nodded. "Thanks." She made to walk past them but stopped suddenly. "Umm, listen, I'm...I'm sorry if I've been a bit of a bitch. I'm not normally I promise. I've just...I've had a bit of a weird time lately, you know? Anyway...I hope we're ok."

Amy smiled and Rory said: "Yeah, of course! The Doctor told us about what happened."

"Oh." Fred said simply, not sure what they thought of her or what happened. "Well, anyway, I'd better go and talk to him."

"Fred!" Amy called as she was about to go down the stairs.

"Yes?"

"He was devastated, you know. When we asked him about you, he was so upset he could barely tell us. He really cared for you."

Fred made to respond but found she couldn't. Instead, she smiled and nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes.

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><p>As Fred descended the steps to the basement, she could hear the Doctor muttering.<p>

"What's he done to you, sexy? The naughty Time Lord broke you. Never mind; we'll have you fixed in no time."

"Aww, is she alright?" Fred said from the doorway. The Doctor jumped and turned to look at her, standing as he did. He noticed her previously smooth hair had begun to return to its wild state. _Good_, he thought.

"She'll be fine. Thankfully, the Master is a good engineer so he didn't leave too much mess. She'll be fixed in no time."

"Good." She wandered into the room further. The Doctor watched, amused and full of affection as she stroked the blue wood. "Oh, I've missed you, old girl." Suddenly, the TARDIS' door swung open. She whipped around to stare at the Doctor. "Did you do that?"

"No." The Doctor said, looking genuinely baffled. His face broke into that familiar childish grin. "I think she's welcoming you back."

Fred beamed before her face fell a little. "I...I don't suppose I could hitch a ride back to my time with you three, could I?"

The Doctor gazed at her, incredulous. "Of course! You didn't think I was going to leave you in Georgian London, did you?"

She blushed. "I suppose not."

Silence fell over them before the Doctor said, "I mean you could always...you know..." He trailed off.

"I could always what?"

The Doctor sucked in a deep breath. "You could always...come with me...I mean us. Travel again, see the stars with me..._us._ Drink tea."

She laughed before sighing and saying, "Doctor, I can't."

"Why?" He demanded.

"You already have two companions! You can't have another one!"

"Oh, twaddle! The more, the merrier!"

She laughed again and the Doctor's face and voice softened. "They won't mind. I already told them they'll love you." He found himself desperately wanting to add _'Like I do'_ but didn't. Besides, he didn't even know if that was true. Fred bit her lip and glanced back at the door to the basement.

"You're sure they won't mind?" She asked, a slight grin already breaking out across her face.

"Of course not! We'll all live together and it'll be fun! Like our own little commune."

She pushed open the door to the TARDIS fully and peered inside. She didn't say anything but he could see her face light up. Unable to resist it any longer, she took a step inside. The Doctor took a step back, admiring the sight of her back in the TARDIS. She laughed, full of joy and he joined in, relief and fondness rocketing around his body.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him and Fred's eyes focused on something over his shoulder. Amy and Rory had entered the basement, two boxes full of dismantled robot parts. Amy looked from Fred to the Doctor, her female intuition sensing that something was going on.

"Everything alright?"

"Oh, yes!" The Doctor replied with glee. "Better in fact!" Amy and Rory shared a glance before giving all their attention to the Doctor. "Miss Knight has consented to join us on our travels!"

The news was met with silence. Rory looked at Fred's anxious face, the Doctor's joyous face and his wife's stunned expression before deciding he should say something to break the quiet.

"Well, that's fantastic! We could always do with another pair of fists when we're in trouble!"

Fred sighed with relief. "You really don't mind?"

"No, of course not!" Rory elbowed his wife. "We don't mind, do we, Amy?"

"No!" Amy said, a little high pitched. "We don't mind at all!"

Fred clapped excitedly and the Doctor said, "See! I told they'd be fine with it!"

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She hugged Rory and Amy before rushing into the TARDIS calling, "I'm going to my room! It's been a while!"

She disappeared out of sight and the Doctor chuckled, watching her go. Amy rounded on him.

"Doctor! What the hell were you thinking?"

He looked at her, baffled. "What do you mean?"

"You invited her to come with us without asking us first?"

The Doctor scowled. "I thought you liked her."

"I do, but I've only just met her and now I'm meant to share life and death situations with her?" She sighed. "It's just a bit weird, that's all."

Rory glared. "Amy, this _is_ the _Doctor's_ TARDIS; he should decide who lives in it."

Amy suddenly realised that she sounded a bit aggressive. "I don't mean that I don't want her here, I just...I just think I'll take some adjusting." She looked at the Doctor and her husband. Her boys. But know she'd have to share them. She sighed and smiled. "But I'll get used to it."

The Doctor beamed. "Well done, Ponds!" He embraced them both.

"I know this is important to you. I know _she's_ important to you. So she's important to us now."

The Doctor's eyes crinkled. "Thank you." His voice was full of emotion. The three of them shared a look, knowing things were going to change but hoping it was for the better. Suddenly, a shout cut through the moment.

"DOCTOR! WHAT THE BLOODY HELL'S HAPPENED TO MY ROOM? IT'S A MESS!"

The Doctor blanched, remembering his rage early yesterday. "Ah." The Doctor rung his hands. "I think I have some fixing and tidying to do." He widened his eyes at them before bustling inside and calling, "ON MY WAY, DEAR!"

Amy and Rory laughed before following the Doctor inside and closing the door with a snap.

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><p><em>So it's all over! I'm happy and sad at the same time...<em>

_In regards to the __sequel__, here's some more details:_

_I'm planning a multi-chap fic where every chapter is a different one-shot in the adventures of the Doctor, Fred, Amy and Rory. Most of them will be pretty fluffy and fun! I hope you can join me with that little venture which will be called "Four Minds". I also have more planned after that but I'll post more about that in that story. It should be up soon as I've already written the first one-shot for it._

_Please leave a review and send this story off well!_


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